Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer-related death in American men and women, accounting for 29 percent of all cancer deaths expected to occur in 2006. It is estimated that in 2006, lung cancer will represent 12 percent of new cancer diagnoses—about 174,470 new lung cancer cases. Lung cancer is classified as either non-small cell, which accounts for 87 percent of all lung cancer diagnoses, or small cell, accounting for the remaining 13 percent. Risk factors for the disease include cigarette smoking; second-hand smoke; air pollution; tuberculosis; treatment with radiation therapy; and exposure to radon, asbestos, chromium, cadmium, arsenic, soot, tar, and some chemicals.

Treatment options for lung cancer may vary depending on the type (small cell vs. non-small cell), stage of the disease, whether the cancer is newly diagnosed or recurrent, and other medical conditions, and should be discussed with the patient's physician.

Lung Cancer Clinical Trials

The Center for Cancer Research (CCR), NCI's largest division doing research on campus, conducts lung cancer clinical trials at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Md. NCI accepts referrals to lung cancer clinical trials conducted in Bethesda, Md., through its Clinical Trials Referral Office (formerly the Clinical Studies Support Center) at 1-888-NCI-1937 (1-888-624-1937).

NCI is currently conducting the following trials for patients with lung cancer. Click on the trials below for additional details, including a summary of eligibility criteria, treatment plan, and information on how to contact the principal investigators and their staff directly.

An Open Label Pilot Study to Evaluate the Effect on the Immune System of Talactoferrin in Adults With Non-small Cell Lung cancer (NSCLC) NCI-08-C-0166

A Phase II, Open-Label, Two Arm Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy of PF-00299804 in Patients With Advanced NSCLC After Failure of at Least One Prior Chemotherapy Regime and Failure of Prior Treatment With Erlotinib NCI-08-C-0086

Registration Phase III Study of Lucanix™ (Belagenpumatucel-L) in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: An International Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Study of Lucanix™ Maintenance Therapy for Stages III/IV NSCLC Subjects Who Have Responded to or Have Stable Disease Following one Regimen of Front-Line, Platinum-Based Combination Chemotherapy NCI-08-C-0083

A Phase I/II Trial of Pemetrexed (Alimta®) Combined With Sirolimus (Rapamycin, Rapamune®) in Subjects With Relapsed or Refractory NSCLC Whose Tumors Bear Activation of mTOR NCI-08-C-0078

Phase I, Multi-Institutional, Open-Label, Dose-Escalation, Multiple Dose Study of the Safety, Tolerability, and Immune Response of CRS-207 in Adult Subjects With Selected Advanced Solid Tumors Who Have Failed or Who Are Not Candidates For Standard Treatment NCI-08-C-0077

A Pharmacodynamic Study of the P-glycoprotein (Pgp) Antagonist, CBT-1(R), Evaluating Pgp Inhibition in Tumors and Normal Tissues NCI-08-C-0035

A Phase I Trial of Nelfinavir (Viracept®) in Adults With Solid Tumors NCI-07-C-0047

Prospective Evaluation of Epigenetic Alterations in Patients With Thoracic Malignancies NCI-06-C-0014

Phase II Study of BAY 43-9006 (Sorafenib) With Evaluation of Ras Signal Pathway in Patients With Relapsed Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer NCI-05-C-0049

Phase I Study of Sequential Depsipeptide/Flavopiridol Infusion in Patients With Malignancies Involving Lungs, Esophagus, or Pleura NCI-05-C-0010

A Phase I/II Study of an Antitumor Vaccination Using Alpha (1,3) Galactosyltransferase Expressing Allogeneic Tumor Cells in Patients With Refractory or Recurrent Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer NCI-04-C-0049

Phase I Study of Gene Induction Mediated by Sequential Decitabine/Depsipeptide Infusion With or Without Concurrent Celecoxib in Subjects With Pulmonary and Pleural Malignancies NCI-02-C-0205

A Phase I Investigation of IL-12/Pulse IL-2 in Adults With Advanced Solid Tumors NCI-00-C-0121