
"I am glad that taking part in a trial might help others on their own cancer journey.”
Please note - this trial is no longer recruiting patients. We hope to add results when they are available.
This trial is looking at a drug called pazopanib for merkel cell skin cancer that has spread. The trial is supported by Cancer Research UK.
Merkel cell carcinoma (also known as MCC) is a rare type of skin cancer. Doctors sometimes use chemotherapy for MCC that has spread and can’t be removed with surgery or controlled with radiotherapy. Chemotherapy often helps, but unfortunately MCC usually comes back. So researchers are looking for new treatments to help people with advanced MCC.
In this trial they are looking at a drug called pazopanib. Pazopanib is a type of biological therapy. It is a cancer growth blocker. It stops signals that cancer cells use to divide and grow.
The aims of the trial are to
You may be able to enter this trial if you
You cannot enter this trial if you
This phase 2 trial will recruit 25 people. Everybody taking part has pazopanib.
You take pazopanib tablets once a day. The trial team will ask you to take them at the same time each day, 1 hour before eating, or 2 hours afterwards.
As long as you don’t have bad side effects, you can carry on taking pazopanib for as long as it helps you.
The researchers will get a sample of your cancer that was removed when you had surgery or a . If there is no sample available, they will ask you to have a new biopsy when you join the trial.
If you have any more surgery or biopsies while you are taking pazopanib, they will also ask your permission to get tissue samples.
The trial team will ask permission to take photographs of your cancer during the trial. It will not be possible to see your face or identify you from the photos. If you don’t want to have photographs taken, you don’t have to. You can still take part in the trial.
You see the trial team and have some tests before you start treatment. The tests include
You may also have a bone scan.
You then see the trial team
During treatment you have
You may have another bone scan after 4 weeks of treatment.
When you finish treatment, you see the trial team 4 weeks later and have a physical examination. They will ask you about any symptoms you have and any side effects from the treatment. You have a CT scan if you haven’t had one in the last 4 weeks.
After that, the trial team will want to check how you are every 2 months. You may see them at hospital, or they may contact you by phone.
If you stop pazopanib for a reason other than your cancer getting worse, you carry on having CT scans every 8 weeks. And the trial team may ask you to have other tests.
The researchers will ask your doctor to let them know how you are getting on for up to 5 years.
The most common side effects of pazopanib include
We have more information about the side effects of pazopanib in our cancer drugs section.
Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.
Dr Paul Nathan
Cancer Research UK
Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC)
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
NIHR Clinical Research Network: Cancer
University of Birmingham
This is Cancer Research UK trial number CRUK/11/015.
If you have questions about the trial please contact our cancer information nurses
Freephone 0808 800 4040
"I am glad that taking part in a trial might help others on their own cancer journey.”