Gallbladder Cancer Research at City of Hope

November 22, 2024

This page was reviewed under our medical and editorial policy by Laleh Melstrom, M.D., M.S., associate professor of surgery and immuno-oncology, Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, City of Hope® Cancer Center Duarte

TAKEAWAYS:

  • City of Hope is a leader in evaluating new gallbladder cancer treatments.
  • We offer access to a variety of clinical trials with the goal of improving survival rates and quality of life for gallbladder cancer patients.

As a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, the gallbladder cancer program at City of Hope is uniquely positioned to provide personalized and comprehensive treatment plans, along with access to groundbreaking research and clinical trials. City of Hope has been named one of America’s top cancer hospitals by U.S. News & World Report for over a decade.

Bladder Cancer Research Projects

Some of our past and current research projects include:

  • Trametinib (Mekinist®) is a targeted therapy drug that can stop tumor development by removing enzymes necessary for gallbladder cancer cells to grow, and City of Hope is part of a Phase II trial to see if this drug is more effective than combination therapy for patients with advanced or recurrent gallbladder cancer. This trial will also evaluate the side effects differences between these two regimens to see which may be less toxic and easier to tolerate.
  • In many cases, combining chemotherapy and radiation therapy (chemoradiation) can be more effective than either therapy alone, but it can also lead to more severe side effects as well. In a Phase I clinical trial, City of Hope researchers are seeing if combining the cancer drug gemcitabine (Gemzar®) with radiation therapy is well tolerated in gallbladder cancer patients and if so, determine the optimal dose for cancer-fighting effectiveness.
  • Overexpression of the CEA protein in some gallbladder cancers can be exploited for imaging purposes, since they will take in more of the drug M5A (which targets CEA-positive cancers) than normal tissues. Using this knowledge, researchers are investigating whether linking M5A to imaging agent 64Cu results in better visualization of tumors in a positron emission tomography (PET) scan.

Gallbladder Cancer Clinical Trials

At City of Hope, we offer access to numerous clinical trials aimed at improving survival rates and enhancing quality of life. Many of these new therapies are not always available elsewhere.

Learn more about our current clinical trials.

(877) 460-4673