a study of pemetrexed, carboplatin and bevacizumab in participants with nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer

Conditions: Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Summary: this study will compare overall survival in participants with stage iiib or iv nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer.


Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * you must sign an informed consent document for clinical research. * you must have stage iiib or stage iv nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer. * you must not have received any prior treatment for your disease. * prior radiation therapy is allowed to \< 25% of the bone marrow; however, prior radiation to the whole pelvis is not allowed. if you have had radiation therapy to the chest, you are not eligible to participate. * you must be at least 18 years of age or older. * you must have measureable tumor lesions according to the response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (recist) or disease can be evaluated on computed tomography (ct) scan. * your test results assessing the function of blood forming tissue, kidneys and liver must be satisfactory. * women must be sterile, postmenopausal or on contraception and men must be sterile (for example post-vasectomy) or on contraception. exclusion criteria: * you cannot have clinically significant third-space fluid collections (e.g. ascites or pleural effusions that cannot be controlled by drainage or other procedures). * you cannot have non-small cell lung carcinoma (nsclc) of predominantly squamous cell histology. * you cannot have known central nervous system (cns) disease, other than stable, treated brain metastasis. * you cannot have undergone a surgical procedure, open biopsy, open pleurodesis, or significant traumatic injury within 28 days of starting the study treatment, or have an anticipated need for major surgery during the study. * you cannot have a history of gastrointestinal fistula, perforation, or abscess, inflammatory bowel disease, or diverticulitis. * you are currently receiving ongoing treatment with full-dose warfarin or equivalent. * you cannot have significant vascular disease, serious cardiac conditions (such as heart attack), stroke or transient ischemic attack within 6 months of the trial. * you cannot have evidence of bleeding diathesis or coagulopathy (in the absence of therapeutic anticoagulation). * you cannot have inadequately controlled hypertension, or a history of hypertensive crisis or hypertensive encephalopathy. * you cannot have a serious, nonhealing wound, active ulcer, or untreated bone fracture. * you cannot have another form of cancer, other than superficial basal cell and superficial squamous (skin) cell, or carcinoma in situ of the cervix within the last 5 years. * you cannot have received an investigational treatment within 30 days prior to the trial. * you cannot have previously received treatment with paclitaxel, carboplatin, pemetrexed, or bevacizumab. * you cannot be pregnant or breast-feeding. * you cannot have a known sensitivity to any component of paclitaxel, carboplatin, pemetrexed, or bevacizumab. * you cannot have a history of hemoptysis (coughing blood) within 3 months prior to the trial. * you are unable to stop taking aspirin more than 1.3 grams per day or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (nsaids). * you are unable or unwilling to take folic acid or vitamin b12 supplementation. * you are unable to take corticosteroids. * you have any other on-going illnesses including active infections that may not allow you to adhere to the requirements of the trial.