Leiomyosarcoma Clinical Trials 2023
Browse 35 Leiomyosarcoma Medical Studies Across 131 Cities
6 Phase 3 Trial ยท 366 Leiomyosarcoma Clinics
What is Leiomyosarcoma?
Leiomyosarcoma is a type of cancer that begins in the cells of the muscle tissue. It is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in adults and accounts for approximately 10% of all adult soft tissue sarcomas. The exact causes of leiomyosarcoma are unknown, but it can be linked to certain types of environmental and genetic factors. Most patients with leiomyosarcoma will present with symptoms related to the tumor itself, including pain and swelling in the affected area. The tumor may also cause tumors to grow along nerve fibers or blood vessels near the site, which can lead to numbness or tingling sensations near the tumor. In some cases, patients may also experience bleeding from an existing tumor or its growths nearby.
Leiomyosarcoma cannot be cured with surgery alone; however, more targeted treatments are available if needed. Treatment options include radiation therapy and chemotherapy, as well as surgery and/or biologic therapy (such as monoclonal antibodies).
Why is Leiomyosarcoma being studied in clinical trials?
Leiomyosarcoma is a rare cancer that primarily affects young adults and is usually found in the soft tissues of the body. It is a highly aggressive cancer, with an average survival rate of just eight months. In fact, it's so difficult that only 13% of patients survive more than five years after diagnosis. The reason why leiomyosarcoma is being studied in clinical trials is that there are currently no approved treatments for this type of cancer.
While there are some targeted therapies that have been proven effective in treating specific types of leiomyosarcoma, they only improve survival rates by 20-30%. So researchers are working to determine if they can create a new targeted therapy that will help more people survive longer than five years after diagnosis.
In order to do this, researchers need to test different combinations of drugs and radiation therapy on patients with different types of leiomyosarcoma so that they can see which combination works best for each individual patient. If one combination works better than another, then researchers will know which drug or radiation therapy works best for each type of leiomyosarcoma.
How Do Leiomyosarcoma Clinical Trials Work?
Clinical trials are important because they allow researchers to test new treatments on a large group of people with LMS. This helps to determine whether or not the treatment is effective and safe. Clinical trials are also important because they can help to speed up the process of finding a cure for LMS. There are a few types of clinical trials that are typically used for LMS:
- Phase I clinical trials are designed to test the safety and effectiveness of new treatments in small groups of people.
- Phase II clinical trials are designed to test the safety and effectiveness of new treatments in larger groups of people.
- Phase III clinical trials are designed to test the safety and effectiveness of new treatments in even larger groups of people.
- Randomized controlled trial (RCT) is a type of clinical trial that is considered to be the gold standard for testing treatments. In an RCT, patients are randomly assigned to receive one of two different treatments. The goal is to find out which treatment is more effective than the other.
What are some key breakthrough clinical trials involving Leiomyosarcoma?
As we continue to search for new treatments to combat leiomyosarcoma, we look to the clinical trials that were conducted in the past.
2012: In one study, researchers looked at how different drugs affected leiomyosarcoma cells in culture. The researchers found that while multiple types of chemotherapy drugs were effective against these cells, only alkylating agents were found to be cancer-specificโmeaning they caused only cell death rather than harming healthy cells as well. The researchers also found that some alkylating agents could cause severe side effects such as anemia and blood toxicity.
2005: In another study, researchers tested a new drug called temozolomide (TMZ) on mice with leiomyosarcoma. They found that TMZ was effective at treating tumors in mice when used along with radiation therapy. However, the scientists noted that TMZ alone was not able to completely eliminate all signs of cancerous cells from the body after treatment; however, it did appear to help reduce them significantly over time.
Who are the key opinion leaders on Leiomyosarcoma clinical trial research?
Dr. Mitch Achee is a Diagnostic Radiologist stationed in Colorado, Utah, for over 30 years. His study on leiomyosarcoma has been a personal one since he, too, had survived the disease last 2011.
Dr. Elizabeth Davis is an Assistant Professor at Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, Tennessee. Her department is concerned with clinical trials to improve the medical management of sarcoma patients.
Top Hospitals for Leiomyosarcoma Clinical Trials
After looking at the top hospitals in the world that conducts Leiomyosarcoma clinical trials, Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center has been found to be the leader in such research.
Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center is a world-class cancer research and treatment facility located in Columbus, Ohio. It was founded by the State of Ohio and its university partners in 1969 and is the first cancer center in the country to serve as the coordinating center for all major cancer research initiatives.
Today, Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center comprises over 100 different programs, including core laboratories and clinics, clinical trials, radiation oncology, clinical medicin, medical imaging, surgery, pathophysiology, translational research, clinical epidemiology, drug discovery and development, and environmental health sciences. The Comprehensive Cancer Center's mission is to advance understanding of human cancer through basic scientific research, clinical investigation, and public education efforts. The center has contributed to the development of new approaches to diagnose, treat, cure and prevent many forms of cancer.
Check out more top hospitals conducting Leiomyosarcoma clinical trials below.
Top Cities for Leiomyosarcoma Clinical Trials
The city of New York is listed to be the most popular city for Leiomyosarcoma clinical trials, with a record of 19 total active cases.
New York is the most populous city in the United States. It's also one of the most diverse cities in the world, with an international population that includes people from more than 150 countries. New York City has served as a center for art and culture since its founding in 1664. In addition to being home to some of the world's greatest art museums, it is also known for its music scene and theater.
Other cities listed as top cities for Leiomyosarcoma clinical trials can be seen below.
Top Treatments for Leiomyosarcoma Clinical Trials
According to Powerโs database, Nivolumab is the top-rated treatment technique that is used for Leiomyosarcoma clinical trials, with a total of 2 active cases.
Nivolumab is a treatment for patients with leiomyosarcoma, a rare type of cancer that makes up only 1% of all cancers in children. Nivolumab works by blocking the expression of specific proteins and genes, which are responsible for maintaining cancerous cells. This means that the tumor's growth can be slowed or stopped. Because leiomyosarcoma is so rare, it's difficult to predict how a patient will respond to nivolumab therapy.
More treatments for Leiomyosarcoma clinical trials are found below.
How many Leiomyosarcoma clinical trials are open to youth and/or seniors?
Powerโs list shows that those 18 above are the most numerous active clinical trials available for Leiomyosarcoma.
Leiomyosarcoma is more prevalent among young adults than it is in older populations. In fact, it's twice as common in people between 18 and 30 years old than it is in people over 30 years old. In addition to age being a risk factor for developing this type of cancer, genetics may also play a role. Some people may be more susceptible to developing leiomyosarcoma because they have specific genetic mutations that can increase their risk of developing certain types of cancer.
Occurrences regarding other age groups can be explored below.
References:
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/uterine-sarcoma/detection-diagnosis-staging/survival-rates.html
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0046891
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0090825805001952
About The Author
Michael Gill - B. Sc.
First Published: October 27th, 2021
Last Reviewed: May 14th, 2023