What the trial was testing
The MIST1 enrolled 186 patients with mesothelioma. The study was sponsored by University of Leicester and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
It was initial testing (phase 2). Trials at this stage are designed to produce evidence regulators and physicians can act on — not just observations to follow up later.
What the results showed
58% of patients with mesothelioma saw their cancer stop growing for at least 12 weeks on this targeted pill.
The Lancet. Respiratory medicine · 2021 · NCT03654833
These findings — that saw their cancer stop growing for at least 12 weeks — were published in the The Lancet. Respiratory medicine and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 186 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with mesothelioma, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
This was an early-stage study and the treatment is not yet FDA-approved for mesothelioma. If you have mesothelioma that has grown after other treatments, ask your doctor about testing your tumor for BAP1 or BRCA1 mutations — this could help identify whether rucaparib or similar drugs might work for you in a clinical trial.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open mesothelioma trials
A Study of BGC515 Capsules in Subjects With Advanced Solid Tumors
The goal of this open-label, dose escalation and dose expansion Phase I clinical trial is to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and preliminary efficacy of BGC515 administered once daily in 3 weeks cycles in solid tumor patients.
Agnostic Therapy in Rare Solid Tumors
The ANTARES study is a phase II basket trial designed to evaluate the tissue-agnostic efficacy of the monoclonal anti-PD1 antibody, nivolumab, in patients with advanced or metastatic rare tumors. The study aims to treat rare malignancies with PD-L1 expression (CPS ≥ 10), regardless of the tumor's tissue type or location. Patients who have not responded to standard treatments will be included, and treatment will last for up to 12 months. The study will assess objective response, progression-free survival, and biomarkers such as PD-L1, ctDNA, and microvesicles, in a multicenter collaborative effort to provide innovative therapeutic options for this underrepresented population