NCI-MATCH / EAY131

The National Cancer Institute-Molecular Analysis for Therapy Choice trial, also known as NCI-MATCH  study EAY131, is a phase II precision medicine trial that seeks to determine whether matching certain drugs or drug combinations in adults whose tumors have specific gene abnormalities will effectively treat their cancer, regardless of their cancer type. Such discoveries could be eligible to move on to larger, more definitive trials.

Precision medicine refers to the tailoring of treatment based on the characteristics of each individual. Treatment focuses on molecular abnormalities instead of the organ site of the cancer.

There are several broad categories of resources for this trial to help website visitors locate the most relevant information. Please see the buttons to the right to access additional information for the trial.

NCI-MATCH was co-developed by the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group (ECOG-ACRIN) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI). It is being led by ECOG-ACRIN through its Biomarker Sciences Program.

A Unique Trial

NCI-MATCH is considered the largest precision medicine cancer trial to date based on the number of patients, treatment arms, and types of cancer being studied in a single clinical trial

• The nearly 40 treatment arms explore a large number of genetic abnormalities and drugs—far more than any other cancer trial
• The trial includes a large number of rare and common cancer types, while most other trials address a single cancer

Other Ways that NCI-MATCH is Unique

• Unlike many clinical trials, this trial is not comparing the drugs or drug combinations with each other, but is studying each treatment’s effectiveness on its own
• The depth and breadth of expertise among the investigators and staff involved in the trial is unprecedented, and includes hundreds of translational scientists, clinical oncologists, community practitioners, and research personnel all with deep experience in clinical trials
• The inclusion of uncommon types of cancer in NCI-MATCH offers patients an unusual opportunity to have their disease assessed to see if it has the same genetic abnormalities found in more common cancer types
• It also offers researchers a unique opportunity to study the effectiveness of new treatments on rare diseases
• Use of the NCI Central Institutional Review Board is mandatory

Patient Eligibility

For an overview, visit the Patient Eligibility section.

Trial Availability and Patient Identification

• For locations, visit the NCI website. NCI-MATCH is open and enrolling patients at nearly 1100 cancer centers and community hospitals in every state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
• To find patients who may be eligible for the trial, several commercial and academic laboratories are permitted by the NCI to identify and refer potentially eligible patients to the trial based upon their standard tumor gene tests ordered by physicians to guide clinical care for their patients. Tumor gene testing by a designated lab is the only pathway for new patients to enroll into the trial.

Treatment Overview

• Trial researchers expect that only a small number of those screened will have one or more molecular abnormalities that match one of the nearly 40 treatment options being studied
• Once enrolled, patients will be treated with a drug or drug combination that targets the molecular changes in their tumor for as long as their tumor shrinks or remains stable
• The drugs included in the trial have all either been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for specific cancer types or are still being tested in other clinical trials but have shown some effectiveness against tumors with a particular genetic alteration(s)

Trial Leadership

• NCI-MATCH was co-developed by the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, and the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group
• The trial is publicly funded by the NCI
• ECOG-ACRIN is leading the trial, a role that involves coordinating the genetic testing and supporting trial sites with training, laboratory services, trial assignments, biostatistical support, data management, auditing, quality control, and public awareness
• Patient advocates were engaged in the development of the trial and are giving input on its implementation and other aspects of the study

Questions?

• To learn more about this trial, patients should start by speaking with their doctor or healthcare team
• Contact the NCI Contact Center, where trained specialists answer cancer-related questions in English and Spanish
• Study personnel with questions about the trial may send an email to ECOG-ACRIN

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