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Outpatient Treatment for Older Patients with AML
Untitled Document
Name of the Trial
Phase II Randomized Study of Tipifarnib in Older Patients With Previously Untreated
Acute Myeloid Leukemia (SWOG-S0432). See the protocol
summary.
Principal Investigators
Dr. Harry Erba, Southwest Oncology Group; Richard Larson, Cancer and Leukemia
Group B; and Dr. Martin Tallman, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group.
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Dr. Harry Erba
Principal Investigator |
Why This Trial Is Important
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common type of leukemia in American
adults. This disease typically strikes older adults, a group that may be less
able to tolerate the aggressive therapies that are currently used to treat AML,
such as combination chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation. Consequently,
doctors are searching for new treatment approaches for older patients with AML.
In this study, researchers are testing a new drug called tipifarnib (Zarnestra™)
to treat patients aged 70 or older who have AML and who are not eligible for
standard treatment. Tipifarnib belongs to a class of drugs called farnesyltransferase
inhibitors, which inhibit the biochemical signals that tell cancer cells to
grow.
"In a previous clinical trial, about 20 percent of AML patients treated
with tipifarnib achieved a complete response, and an additional 15 percent achieved
partial response," said Dr. Erba. "Those who responded to tipifarnib
experienced better survival rates."
"Tipifarnib has several advantages over standard treatments. It is administered
orally, which allows patients to be treated in an outpatient setting, and it
is generally well tolerated," added Dr. Erba. "We believe that this
study represents a novel approach to treating AML in patients who are not eligible
for or cannot tolerate standard treatments."
Contact Information
This trial is no longer accruing new patients. To find other leukemia clinical trials, search the NCI's database of clinical trials or call the NCI's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237). The call is toll free and completely confidential.
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