Newswise — New Brunswick, N.J., October 15, 2014 – Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey is one of 50 global sites to offer a clinical trial examining an investigational treatment for a rare cancer known as Merkel cell carcinoma.

Merkel cell carcinoma is a type of cancer that results from the uncontrolled growth of Merkel cells found in the top layer of the skin. Often starting in parts of the body exposed to the sun (head, neck, arms, legs, chest and stomach), this form of cancer can grow quickly and spread to other parts of the body at an early stage. Surgery, radiation and chemotherapy are standard treatments for early stages of the disease, but for advanced disease, these treatments are typically used to alleviate symptoms or improve quality of life for the patient.

At focus is an investigational drug known as MSB0010718C that is being tested to see what effect it has in treating Merkel cell carcinoma. The drug belongs to a family of molecules called anti-PD-L1 antibodies. PD-L1 is a cell surface protein found in different human tumor types. It can block the immune system from receiving signals that would promote an attack against a tumor. MSB0010718C is found to interfere with PD-L1 and is thought to potentially have an effect on the immune system (in particular, white blood cells known as T-cells) that can promote a tumor attack and block tumor growth.

Patients accepted into the study will receive the study drug through an intravenous infusion (a needle into the vein that delivers the drug into the bloodstream). Participants will take part in the study for approximately 13 weeks and will undergo study follow-up that includes brief physical exams for up to one year following the end of treatment. Patients also will be asked to participate in a genetic analysis of their blood to help scientists learn if there is a ‘marker’ that can help predict how individuals may respond to the drug. This part of the study is optional.

Howard Kaufman, MD, FACS, associate director for clinical science at the Cancer Institute of New Jersey and professor of surgery at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, is the lead Cancer Institute researcher on the trial. “Considering Merkel cell carcinoma is a rapidly-progressing cancer and does not respond well to current treatments in later stages of the disease, there is a need to provide this patient population with effective therapies. By examining drugs that may help the body’s immune system do its job better against cancer cells, we have an opportunity to provide these patients with options for treatment rather than just alleviating symptoms,” he said.

Individuals aged 18 and older who are diagnosed with Merkel cell carcinoma that has spread to other parts of the body are eligible to take part in the trial, although other criteria must also be met. Prior to being accepted into the study, participants would be required to undergo a number of tests including blood work and a physical exam.

For more information on how to take part in this trial, which is sponsored by EMD Serono, Inc., individuals should call the Cancer Institute’s Office of Human Research Services at 732-235-8675 or e-mail [email protected].

Clinical trials, often called cancer research studies, test new experimental treatments and new ways of using existing treatments for cancer. At the Cancer Institute, researchers use these studies to answer questions about how a treatment affects the human body and to make sure it is safe and effective. There are several types of clinical trials that are currently underway at the Cancer Institute, including those that diagnose, treat, prevent, and manage symptoms of cancer. Many treatments used today, whether they are drugs or vaccines, ways to do surgery or give radiation therapy, or combinations of treatments, are the results of past clinical trials.

As New Jersey’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Cancer Institute offers patients access to treatment options not available at other institutions within the state. The Cancer Institute currently enrolls more than 1,200 patients in clinical trials annually, including approximately 17 percent of all new adult cancer patients and approximately 70 percent of all pediatric cancer patients. Enrollment in these studies nationwide is fewer than five percent of all adult cancer patients.

About Rutgers Cancer Institute of New JerseyRutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey (www.cinj.org) is the state’s first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. As part of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, the Cancer Institute of New Jersey is dedicated to improving the detection, treatment and care of patients with cancer, and to serving as an education resource for cancer prevention. Physician-scientists at the Cancer Institute engage in translational research, transforming their laboratory discoveries into clinical practice, quite literally bringing research to life. To make a tax-deductible gift to support the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, call 732-235-8614 or visit www.cinj.org/giving. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheCINJ.

The Cancer Institute of New Jersey Network is comprised of hospitals throughout the state and provides the highest quality cancer care and rapid dissemination of important discoveries into the community. Flagship Hospital: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. System Partner: Meridian Health (Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Ocean Medical Center, Riverview Medical Center, Southern Ocean Medical Center, and Bayshore Community Hospital). Major Clinical Research Affiliate Hospitals: Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Morristown Medical Center, Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Overlook Medical Center, and Cooper University Hospital. Affiliate Hospitals: JFK Medical Center, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton (CINJ Hamilton), Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset and University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro.

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