Lung Cancer Clinical Trials

What Are Clinical Trials for Lung Cancer?

Clinical trials for lung cancer give patients access to new treatments and diagnostic options that are not available to the public.

Clinical trials are conducted at top medical facilities throughout the country to further lung cancer research. These trials are led by experienced medical professionals who are dedicated to improving the lives of lung cancer patients.

Through lung cancer clinical trials, patients:

• Can get newer treatments for free, since clinical trials cost nothing to join
• Could be diagnosed before their lung cancer has spread and is easier to treat
• May potentially receive a lung cancer treatment that helps them live longer

As of December 2024, there are over 1,000 lung cancer clinical trials that are either recruiting or will soon be recruiting patients.

Get our Free Lung Cancer Guide now to learn more about lung cancer clinical trials and how to pursue compensation that could help pay for expenses linked to your illness.

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How Do I Join a Clinical Trial for Lung Cancer?

Joining a clinical trial is easy when you work with your lung cancer doctor. Your specialists can help determine which lung cancer clinical trials you qualify to join and can guide you through the process of enrolling.

Learn about the steps to join a lung cancer clinical trial below.

1. Connect With Your Doctor

If you or someone you love is interested in joining a clinical trial, the first step is to talk with your lung cancer doctor.

Your lung cancer doctor can look at the specifics of your diagnosis — including the stage, treatments you’ve already received, and your overall health — to determine which clinical trials will be most beneficial to you.

You can also explore clinical trials online that may be near you and ask your doctor if you would be a good fit for any.

2. Join the Trial

Once you and your doctor have found a clinical trial that could be helpful, you can then enroll. You will be asked to sign an informed consent form before you can participate.

Not all clinical trials may accept you as they typically have a narrow scope. For example, one trial may only be available for early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who qualify for surgery, while another may be seeking small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients with advanced tumors.

3. Participate in the Trial

After enrollment, you’ll then receive the treatment or diagnostic test being studied. When, where, and how you’ll participate depends on the specifics of the clinical trial.

Ideally, the trial will be close to your home or where you’re already receiving treatment. In some cases, though, you may have to travel to a different facility that’s not close by.

Types of Lung Cancer Clinical Trials

There are several different types of lung cancer clinical trials based on what the researchers are hoping to achieve through their testing.

Clinical Trials Testing Lung Cancer Treatment

Many clinical trials are studying treatments that may help improve lung cancer prognosis (expected health outcome). These trials measure how new therapies or new combinations of therapies work.

Ongoing clinical trials for lung cancer treatments include:

• Adagrasib Dosing: Doctors are studying how different doses of a chemotherapy drug called Adagrasib (Krazati^®) can help patients with NSCLC.
• LS301-IT for Intraoperative Imaging: This Philadelphia-based trial is studying how LS301-IT, a fluorescence imaging agent, can help visualize tumors during lung cancer surgery so doctors can ensure all of the tumor has been removed.
• Padeliporfin VTP Using Robotic-Assisted Bronchoscopy: Researchers in Baltimore are studying how robotic-assisted surgery and photodynamic therapy (which uses a light-sensitive drug to kill cancer) can help patients.

Other treatments being studied include anti-angiogenesis therapy (preventing tumors from growing blood vessels that they use to spread), antibody-drug conjugates (which deliver a concentrated dose of chemotherapy), and macrocyclic compounds (drugs that target the proteins lung cancer cells use to spread).

Clinical Trials for Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Screening

Some clinical trials are studying more effective ways to diagnose lung cancer. This includes identifying groups of people who are at risk of developing lung cancer in the future but have not yet been diagnosed.

Active clinical trials for lung cancer diagnosis and screening include:

• BE FIT Study: Ohio State University researchers are studying how regular exercise affects the gut microbiome of smokers who are at risk of lung cancer. Exercise can decrease inflammation of the gut and help lessen the chances of cancer.
• Lung Cancer Risk Assessment and Etiology: California-based cancer center City of Hope is studying factors that may increase the risk of lung cancer in people with the hopes of diagnosing more cases sooner.
• TELESCOPE Study: Researchers at the Rutgers Cancer Institute in New Jersey are comparing whether telehealth coaching will lead to more discussions about lung cancer screening in those at risk compared to standard care.

Get our Free Lung Cancer Guide to learn more about clinical trials and other therapies that could help you or a loved one facing this cancer.

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• Understand risk factors
• Find top treatments
• Pursue compensation

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How Lung Cancer Clinical Trials Work

Lung cancer clinical trials follow a series of steps, with the goal of getting a new treatment or diagnostic method approved to help many more patients. Learn about the steps that each clinical trial goes through below.

1. Early-Phase Testing

Clinical trials study groups of patients in phases, with each phase enrolling more patients.

Clinical trial phases include:

• Phase I: Between 20 and 80 patients receive the therapy being tested.
• Phase II: Around 100 to 300 patients participate.
• Phase III: Between 1,000 and 3,000 patients can join.

After each phase, the data will be analyzed and the results will be shared with the public. If the results are encouraging, the study moves on to the next phase.

2. FDA Approval

If a particular lung cancer treatment or diagnosis method shows success in a phase III clinical trial, it may be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for mainstream use. This means it will become an accepted treatment.

For example, in December 2024, the FDA granted accelerated approval to an immunotherapy drug called zenocutuzumab (Bizengri^®) in treating NSCLC that can’t be removed with surgery.

3. Post-FDA Approval Studies

Even after a new lung cancer treatment or diagnostic option is FDA approved, it will still be studied. This is done through phase IV clinical trials, where the benefits and potential downsides are reviewed once the therapy has reached the general public.

How Lung Cancer Clinical Trials Benefit Patients

Arguably, the most notable benefit of a lung cancer clinical trial is that it may give patients more treatment options.

Some cases of lung cancer will not respond to traditional treatments. In these cases, a clinical trial could help improve a patient’s prognosis and allow them to become a long-term survivor.

Other benefits of clinical trials for lung cancer include:

• Accessing treatments that may have fewer side effects
• Getting diagnosed with lung cancer early on, which often leads to better outcomes
• Furthering lung cancer research to help other patients
• Managing or lessening your lung cancer symptoms

Due to all of the benefits, clinical trials are often a great option for lung cancer patients — particularly those who are faced with limited treatment options.

Negatives of Lung Cancer Clinical Trials

There are a few potential downsides to lung cancer clinical trials.

These include:

• Eligibility: You may not be eligible to join a trial if you don’t meet the criteria.
• Placebos: Some patients receive just standard treatments while others get the actual therapy being studied. This helps doctors measure the new therapy compared to existing ones. However, it also means you may not actually receive the treatment you were interested in.
• Travel: You may need to go to a different city or state to join a clinical trial, and you could potentially face out-of-pocket travel expenses as a result.
• Side effects: If you receive a new treatment, you may face uncomfortable or unexpected side effects.

You and your doctors can weigh the potential benefits with these drawbacks to decide if a lung cancer clinical trial is right for you.

Cost of Lung Cancer Clinical Trials

Lung cancer clinical trials are free to participate in. Some may even offer a small payment or room and board during the trial for both the participants and their families.

However, for many trials, patients must pay for their own travel and lodging, so always check with the individual trial for what it is offering.

Get Help Accessing Lung Cancer Clinical Trials

Clinical trials have the potential to help lung cancer patients get a more accurate diagnosis and more effective treatments.

While each clinical trial is different and will only accept a specific group of patients, your lung cancer doctors can help find trials that you may be able to join.

The team at Lung Cancer Group is also ready to assist lung cancer patients in any way we can.

Work with our team to:

• Better understand how trials may help you
• Pursue compensation for lung cancer expenses
• Receive the support that you and your family deserve

Call (877) 446-5767 now or get a Free Lung Cancer Guide to see how we can help you and your loved ones.