
"I am glad that taking part in a trial might help others on their own cancer journey.”
This trial looked at imatinib (Glivec) for a type of melanoma of the eye (uveal melanoma) that had spread to another part of the body and couldn’t be removed with an operation. This is called advanced melanoma of the eye. This trial was for people whose melanoma cells, had a large amount of a protein called c-kit.
This trial was supported by Cancer Research UK.
Advanced melanoma of the eye can be difficult to treat. So doctors are always looking for new ways to improve treatment for this group of patients.
Imatinib is a type of biological therapy. It is a cancer growth blocker. It stops signals that cancer cells use to divide and grow.
Doctors thought that imatinib may have helped to slow cancer growth for people with advanced melanoma of the eye. But they weren’t sure.
The aims of the trial were to find out
The trial team found that imatinib didn’t help people with advanced melanoma whose melanoma cells had a large amount of the protein c-kit.
This was a phase 2 trial. It recruited 25 people. Everyone had imatinib.
After an average follow up of 3 months, the researchers looked at how well the melanoma had responded. They found that for
Unfortunately the remaining 5 people had died.
Overall the average amount of time that people lived was 7½ months.
The trial team concluded that imatinib didn’t help people with advanced melanoma of the eye.
We have based this summary on information from the team who ran the trial. As far as we are aware, the information they sent us has not been reviewed independently () or published in a medical journal yet. The figures we quote above were provided by the trial team. We have not analysed the data ourselves.
Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.
Dr Ernie Marshall
Cancer Research UK
Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust
Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC)
NIHR Clinical Research Network: Cancer
This is Cancer Research UK trial number CRUK/07/042.
Freephone 0808 800 4040
"I am glad that taking part in a trial might help others on their own cancer journey.”