RATIONALE: Mistletoe may help the body build an immune response and may improve quality of life to help patients live more comfortably. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying mistletoe to see how well it works in treating patients who are receiving palliative chemotherapy for stage IIIB or stage IV non-small cell lung cancer.
OBJECTIVES: * Determine whether supplemental treatment with mistletoe increases immune function (as determined by total lymphocyte count, eosinophil count, and lymphocyte subset analysis) in patients with stage IIIB or IV non-small cell lung cancer receiving palliative chemotherapy. * Determine the tolerability of this drug in these patients. * Correlate immune function and quality of life in patients treated with this drug. OUTLINE: This is an open-label, non-randomized, multicenter study. Patients receive mistletoe subcutaneously three times a week for 15 weeks. Dose of mistletoe is increased at weeks 2 and 3 and then every 3 weeks until a maximum response is seen, dose-limiting toxicity occurs, or the study ends. Quality of life is assessed at baseline and at weeks 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: Not specified
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University - Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.