
"I am glad that taking part in a trial might help others on their own cancer journey.”
This trial looked at a new drug called ranibizumab for a type of eye cancer called uveal melanoma.
Cancer Research UK supported this trial.
Uveal melanoma can be treated with surgery, radiotherapy or both. If possible, doctors remove only part of the eye to save your sight. But if the cancer is too big they remove the whole eye. This is called enucleation.
Ranibizumab (also called Lucentis) is a type of biological therapy called a monoclonal antibody. It works by targeting a protein on the cancer cells called vascular endothelial growth factor ().
Researchers know from that blocking VEGF shrinks other types of cancer. In this study, they wanted to find out if ranibizumab could shrink uveal melanoma.
The aim of this trial was to find out how well ranibizumab worked as a treatment to avoid removal of the eye.
The research team concluded that ranibizumab isn’t useful for people with uveal melanoma.
The trial team hoped that around 14 people would take part. But it took longer than expected to find people to take part. The trial was stopped after 7 people had joined.
Of these 7 people:
Researchers looked at how well the 5 people who had ranibizumab did. They found that ranibizumab did not shrink their cancer. Everybody went on to have surgery to remove the eye (enucleation).
The study team think it’s not useful to do more trials using drugs that target the protein VEGF (such as ranibizumab) in people with uveal melanoma.
We have based this summary on information from the research team. 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 research 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.
Prof Heinrich Heimann
Cancer Research UK
Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC)
NIHR Cancer Research Network: Cancer
Novartis
Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospital
The University of Liverpool Cancer Trials Unit
This is Cancer Research UK trial number CRUK/10/032.
Freephone 0808 800 4040
"I am glad that taking part in a trial might help others on their own cancer journey.”