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Name of the Trial

Phase III Randomized Study of Adjuvant Chemotherapy With or Without Bevacizumab in Patients With Completely Resected Stage IB-IIIA Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (ECOG-E1505). See the protocol summary ³.

Principal Investigators

Dr. Heather Wakelee Principal Investigator

Dr. Heather Wakelee, Dr. Alan Sandler, and Dr. Steven Keller, ECOG ⁴; Dr. David Gandara and Dr. Eric Vallieres, SWOG ⁵; Dr. Stephen Graziano and Dr. Richard Battafarano, CALGB ⁶; Dr. Charles Butts, NCIC-Clinical Trials Group ⁷; and Dr. Alex Adjei, NCCTG ⁸.

Why This Trial Is Important

More Americans die each year from lung cancer than from breast, colon, and prostate cancer combined. Although surgery can be curative, many patients will experience a relapse and eventually die from their disease. Consequently, doctors often give chemotherapy after surgery (adjuvant chemotherapy) in an attempt to kill any remaining cancer cells.

The addition of the monoclonal antibody bevacizumab (Avastin) to chemotherapy has helped extend the lives of some patients with inoperable advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Now doctors are interested in determining whether the addition of bevacizumab to adjuvant chemotherapy can help patients with early NSCLC live longer following surgery to remove their tumors.

Bevacizumab blocks the activity of a protein called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which promotes the growth of blood vessels (angiogenesis) to tumors. Angiogenesis is essential for tumors to get the oxygen and nutrients they need to grow bigger than a few millimeters.

"Bevacizumab in addition to chemotherapy is proven to help people with advanced lung cancer live longer," said Dr. Wakelee. "Because of the way this agent works, we're hopeful that giving it along with chemotherapy to patients with completely resected early-stage lung cancer will help block the development of advanced disease and possibly produce a cure for some of these patients."

Who Can Join This Trial

Researchers seek to enroll 1,500 adult patients with stage IB-IIIA NSCLC that has been completely removed by surgery. See the list of eligibility criteria ⁹.

Study Sites and Contact Information

Study sites in the United States are recruiting patients for this trial. See the list of study contacts ¹⁰ or call the NCI's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) for more information. The toll-free call is confidential.

Glossary Terms

Cancer that has spread to other places in the body and usually cannot be cured or controlled with treatment.

A drug used to treat several types of cancer, including certain types of colorectal, lung, breast, and kidney cancers and glioblastoma. It is also being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer. Bevacizumab binds to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and may prevent the growth of new blood vessels that tumors need to grow. It is a type of antiangiogenesis agent and a type of monoclonal antibody. Also called Avastin.

A type of protein made in the laboratory that can locate and bind to substances in the body, including tumor cells. There are many kinds of monoclonal antibodies. Each monoclonal antibody is made to find one substance. Monoclonal antibodies are being used to treat some types of cancer and are being studied in the treatment of other types. They can be used alone or to carry drugs, toxins, or radioactive materials directly to a tumor.

A group of lung cancers that are named for the kinds of cells found in the cancer and how the cells look under a microscope. The three main types of non-small cell lung cancer are squamous cell carcinoma, large cell carcinoma, and adenocarcinoma. Non-small cell lung cancer is the most common kind of lung cancer.