
Last year in the UK over 60,000 cancer patients enrolled on clinical trials aimed at improving cancer treatments and making them available to all.
Please note - this trial is no longer recruiting patients. We hope to add results when they are available.
This study is looking at tasquinimod for liver cancer, ovarian cancer, kidney cancer and stomach (gastric) cancer. The study is for people whose cancer has come back or spread to another part of the body. This is called advanced cancer.
Doctors can use chemotherapy, surgery and biological therapies to treat advanced cancer of the ovaries, kidney and stomach. They also use a biological therapy called sorafenib to treat advanced liver cancer. But sometimes these cancers can continue to grow or come back after having these . Researchers are always looking for new drugs to help people in this situation. In this study they are looking at tasquinimod.
Tasquinimod is a type of biological therapy. It works by blocking the growth of new blood vessels to the cancer and by helping the body’s immune system.
The aim of this study is to find how well tasquinimod works for people with advanced cancer of the liver, ovary, kidney and stomach.
You may be able to enter this study if you are in one of the following situations.
You have a type of liver cancer called hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and
You have a type of ovarian cancer called epithelial ovarian cancer or cancer of the fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer and
You have a type of kidney cancer called renal cell cancer and
You have a type of cancer called that started in your stomach or where your food pipe joins your stomach (gastro oesophageal junction) and
You must also
You cannot enter this study if
This is a phase 2 study. It will recruit 200 people. There are 4 groups
Tasquinimod is a capsule. You take it once a day at the same time each day. You take it with your evening meal and a glass of water. You have a diary to record when you take it.
You start by taking a small dose for 2 weeks. If you have no bad side effects, your dose is then increased. You continue having tasquinimod as long as it is helping and the side effects aren’t too bad.
The researchers will take some blood samples. They will use these to look for substances () in the blood that may show how well tasquinimod is working, and to find out what happens to it in the body.
They will also ask for a sample of your cancer that was removed when you had surgery or a and for extra blood samples. They will store these samples and may use them for future research. If you don’t want to give these samples for research, you don’t have to. You can still take part in the trial.
You see the doctor to have some tests before taking part in this study. These tests include
If you have liver cancer, you will have 2 liver biopsies as part of this trial – one before treatment starts and another after 4 weeks. You must agree to these to take part in this trial.
During treatment you see the doctor every 2 weeks for a month, at 2 months and then every 2 months for a physical examination, blood tests and urine test. If you had an ultrasound, you have another one at the first 3 appointments. You have CT scans or MRI scans at the 2 month appointment and then every 2 months.
After treatment you see the doctor for the same tests apart from the ultrasound. You then see the doctor every 3 months.
Tasquinimod is a new drug and there may be side effects we don’t know about yet. The side effects known may include
Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.
Professor Ruth Plummer
Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC)
Ipsen
NIHR Clinical Research Network: Cancer
Freephone 0808 800 4040
Last year in the UK over 60,000 cancer patients enrolled on clinical trials aimed at improving cancer treatments and making them available to all.