Clinical trialCLINICALTRIALSMar 26
Researchers are testing new cancer treatments for people with rare types of ovarian cancer that have come back or didn't go away after initial treatment. The study will test different medicines based on specific genetic markers found in each patient's tumor. About 176 patients will participate, and the trial is being run by Roche, a major pharmaceutical company.
WHY IT MATTERSThis trial offers personalized treatment options for patients with recurrent or persistent rare epithelial ovarian cancers, where standard treatments have failed or stopped working—a situation with very limited options.
Clinical trialCLINICALTRIALSMar 26
Researchers are testing a drug called cabozantinib-s-malate to treat children and young adults with rare cancers, including sarcomas (muscle cancers), Wilms tumor (kidney cancer), and other solid tumors that have come back after treatment or didn't respond to initial therapy. The drug works by blocking proteins that help tumors grow and form new blood vessels. This phase II trial has enrolled 109 patients and is no longer recruiting new participants.
WHY IT MATTERSIf your child has a recurrent or treatment-resistant sarcoma, Wilms tumor, or other rare pediatric solid tumor, this completed trial data may help inform whether cabozantinib could be an option to discuss with their oncologist.
Clinical trialCLINICALTRIALSMar 26
Researchers tested a cancer drug called osimertinib (AZD9291) in 19 patients with advanced cancers that have specific genetic changes in a gene called EGFR. The drug works by blocking a mutated protein that helps cancer cells grow. This trial is now complete and results have been posted.
WHY IT MATTERSThis trial provides evidence that osimertinib may work against cancers with EGFR mutations across different cancer types, potentially offering a treatment option for patients whose tumors have this specific genetic change.
Clinical trialCLINICALTRIALSMar 26
Researchers are testing two cancer-fighting drugs called nivolumab and ipilimumab together to treat patients with rare types of cancer. These drugs help the body's immune system recognize and fight cancer cells. The trial is currently active but not accepting new patients at this time.
WHY IT MATTERSThis trial tests a combination immunotherapy approach across 50+ rare tumor types, offering potential treatment options for patients with uncommon cancers that have limited standard therapies available.
Clinical trialCLINICALTRIALSMar 26
Researchers are testing whether combining three cancer drugs—nivolumab, ipilimumab, and cabozantinib—can help treat rare cancers of the bladder, kidney, prostate, and other urinary system organs. This phase 2 trial is actively recruiting 314 patients to see if this drug combination works better than current treatments. The study is being run by the National Cancer Institute.
WHY IT MATTERSThis trial offers patients with rare genitourinary cancers (like collecting duct carcinoma, kidney medullary carcinoma, and rare bladder variants) access to a novel three-drug combination that may be more effective than standard treatments currently available.
Clinical trialCLINICALTRIALSMar 26
Researchers are looking for patients with a specific type of lung cancer (non-small-cell lung cancer with EGFR PACC mutations) who have never received treatment for advanced disease. This study will test whether a new drug called firmonertinib works better and is safer than two existing drugs (osimertinib or afatinib) that doctors currently use. About 480 patients will be enrolled worldwide.
WHY IT MATTERSThis trial is actively recruiting patients with EGFR PACC mutations—a rare subset of lung cancer—and offers access to firmonertinib, a potentially more effective treatment option compared to standard first-line therapies.
Clinical trialCLINICALTRIALSMar 26
Researchers are testing a combination of two cancer-fighting treatments called talimogene laherparepvec and nivolumab in patients with rare lymphomas (blood cancers) and skin cancers that didn't respond to previous treatments. Talimogene laherparepvec is a modified virus that helps the immune system fight cancer cells, while nivolumab is an immunotherapy drug that removes the brakes on the immune system. This study involves 68 patients and is currently enrolling participants.
WHY IT MATTERSThis trial offers a potential new treatment option for patients with refractory (treatment-resistant) rare lymphomas like mycosis fungoides and Merkel cell carcinoma, which have very limited options after standard therapies fail.
ResearchCLINICALTRIALSMar 26
Researchers at the National Cancer Institute completed a study of 326 people with rare brain and spine tumors, including meningioma, ependymoma, medulloblastoma, and other types. The study collected health information and genetic data to understand what causes these tumors to develop and what factors increase the risk of getting them. These tumors are very uncommon, affecting fewer than 2,000 people per year in the United States.
WHY IT MATTERSThis completed study provides researchers with genetic and health data from 326 patients that could lead to better understanding of why these rare brain tumors develop, potentially informing future treatment options and risk screening for patients with these conditions.