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Circulating Tumour DNA Based Decision for Adjuvant Treatment in Colon Cancer Stage II Evaluation

Phase 3
Recruiting
Conditions
Colon Cancer Stage II
Interventions
Registration Number
NCT04089631
Lead Sponsor
Technische Universität Dresden
Brief Summary

The CIRCULATE study evaluates the adjuvant therapy in patients with colon cancer UICC stage II. The primary aim of the study is to compare the disease free survival in patients who are positive for postoperative circulating tumour DNA with vs. without capecitabine.

Detailed Description

CIRCULATE is an investigator-initiated, multicentre, prospective, randomised, controlled trial.

Screening phase:

Patients with colon cancer (or rectal cancer, if a radiation is not indicated i.e. due to the tumour localisation) are postoperatively screened for this trial.

For this purpose, they sign an informed consent for screening. The formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tumour block is shipped to one of the central pathological laboratories and is analysed for microsatellite instability and by panel analysis for frequent mutations in the colorectal cancer. A plasma sample is sent in parallel to the central laboratory for ctDNA. The screening is preferably performed before the patient is discharged from the surgical department and at the latest 5 weeks after resection to allow sufficient time for the analysis.

The patient- specific tumour mutations known from the panel analysis are measure in the patients plasma by ultra deep sequencing. The results of the analysis - positive for circulating tumour DNA (ctDNApos) or negative for circulating tumour DNA (ctDNAneg) - is not communicated to the patient or the investigator.

Randomised phase:

Four to eight weeks after resection, the patient presents at an investigator that is experienced with chemotherapy (i.e. Medical Oncologist) and consent for the randomised part of the study with a second informed consent form. If this baseline visit confirms that there are not contraindications to chemotherapy and if no other exclusion criteria exist, the patient is randomised:

* ctDNApos patients are randomised (2:1) in "chemotherapy" (with capecitabine) or "follow-up",

* ctDNAneg patients are randomised (1:4) in "follow-up" or "off study" which means that the follow-up will be organised within the routine clinical practice.

The result of the ctDNA will not be communicated to the patients and investigators, so that patients in the arm "follow-up" remain blinded to the ctDNA result. Due to the randomisation ratio, the prognosis of these patients is similar to those in stage II without any ctDNA analysis and differs only slightly from patients not enrolled into a clinical trial.

Patients in the arm "chemotherapy" receive adjuvant therapy with 6 months capecitabine. The investigator can decide to add oxaliplatin and to shorten the adjuvant chemotherapy to 3 months if oxaliplatin is added.

Patients in the arms "chemotherapy" and "follow-up" are followed with the same methods and time point within the study.

Patients in the arm "off study" are recommended to be follow up according to the guidelines for stage II in the routine practice.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
4812
Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
ChemotherapyCapecitabineCapecitabine mono or Capecitabine/Oxaliplatin as investigator choice: Patients who are positive for postoperative ctDNA (ctDNApos) and not microsatellite instable are randomized (2:1) to adjuvant chemotherapy with capecitabine or to follow up. Capecitabine 2 x 1250 mg/m\^2, oral (d1-14), repeated at day 22 (- 2 ... + 6 days). Patients with a GFR between 30 and 50 ml/min start with capecitabine dose of 2 x 1000 mg/m\^2. Treatment duration: 8 cycles (approx. 6 months) Capecitabine, if combined with Oxaliplatin (investigator choice): If the investigation decides to add oxaliplatin, the following schedule should be used: \[Oxaliplatin 130 mg/m\^2 i.v. (2 hours on d1)\] Capecitabine 2 x 1000 mg/m\^2, oral (d1-14), repeated at day 22 (- 2 ... + 6 days) Treatment duration: 4 or 8 cycles (approx. 3 or 6 months)
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Disease free Survival (DFS)for the primary endpoint after 154 events (approx. 60 months after study start)

Disease free survival of ctDNA positive patients randomised to "chemotherapy" vs. "follow-up", measured from randomisation to any recurrence, metastasis, second colorectal or non colorectal cancer and death from any cause. The primary endpoint will be tested in all randomised ctDNA positive patients and be evaluated by a stratified log rank test.

Interims analysis after 93 events (approx. 38 months after study start), final analysis for the primary endpoint after 154 events (approx. 60 months after study start).

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Disease free and overall survival of ctDNApos vs. ctDNAneg patients randomized to "follow-up"3 years and 5 years

Disease free and overall survival of ctDNApos vs. ctDNAneg patients randomized to "follow-up" (measured from randomisation to the event in an intention-to-treat analysis by stratified log rank test). Any recurrence, metastasis, second colorectal or non-colorectal cancer and death from any cause are regarded as event for DFS. Death of any cause will be regarded as event for overall survival.

Overall survival in ctDNApos patients with adjuvant therapy vs follow-up5 years

Overall survival in ctDNApos patients with adjuvant therapy vs follow-up, measured from randomisation to death from any cause, in all randomised ctDNA positive patients and be evaluated by a stratified log rank test.

Disease free survival in ctDNAneg patients randomised to follow up3 years

Disease free survival in ctDNAneg patients randomised to follow up (rate of patients disease free and alive 3 years after randomisation according to Kaplan-Meier estimation with 95% CI, intention-to-treat analysis). Any recurrence, metastasis, second colorectal or non-colorectal cancer and death from any cause is regarded as event (rate of patients disease free and alive 3 years after randomisation according to Kaplan-Meier estimation with 95% CI, intention-to-treat analysis). Any recurrence, metastasis, second colorectal or non- colorectal cancer and death from any cause is regarded as event

Overall survival in ctDNAneg patients randomised to "follow up"5 years

Overall survival in ctDNAneg patients randomised to "follow up" (rate of patients alive after 5 years after randomisation according to Kaplan-Meier estimation with 95% CI)

Site of metastases5 years

Site of metastases (lymph node vs. peritoneal/local recurrence vs other) in ctDNApos vs. ctDNAneg patients who have a recurrence / metastases

Frequency of adverse events from start of chemotherapy until 30 days after chemotherapy5 years

Frequency of adverse events from start of chemotherapy until 30 days after chemotherapy (descriptive analysis for patients randomised to "chemotherapy" who have received at least one dose of chemotherapy).

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Universitaetsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus, Medizinische Klinik

🇩🇪

Dresden, Sachsen, Germany

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