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High or Standard Intensity Radiation Therapy After Gemcitabine Hydrochloride and Nab-paclitaxel in Treating Patients With Pancreatic Cancer That Cannot Be Removed by Surgery

Phase 2
Terminated
Conditions
Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
Stage III Pancreatic Cancer
Interventions
Radiation: low intensity radiation therapy
Radiation: high intensity radiation therapy
Registration Number
NCT01921751
Lead Sponsor
Radiation Therapy Oncology Group
Brief Summary

This randomized phase II trial studies how well high or standard intensity radiochemotherapy after gemcitabine hydrochloride and paclitaxel albumin-stabilized nanoparticle formulation (nab-paclitaxel) work compared with gemcitabine hydrochloride and nab-paclitaxel alone in treating patients with pancreatic cancer that cannot be removed by surgery. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as gemcitabine hydrochloride and nab-paclitaxel, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing or by stopping them from spreading. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Drugs, such as capecitabine, may make tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy. Giving radiation therapy in different ways and adding chemotherapy may kill more tumor cells. It is not yet known whether high intensity radiochemotherapy after gemcitabine hydrochloride and nab-paclitaxel is more effective than standard intensity radiochemotherapy after gemcitabine hydrochloride and nab-paclitaxel or gemcitabine hydrochloride and nab-paclitaxel alone in treating pancreatic cancer.

Detailed Description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

* I. To determine if intensified radiochemotherapy following gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel in patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer will show a signal for improved 2-year overall survival (OS) from 10% to 22.5% as compared to chemotherapy with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel alone.

* II. To determine if standard radiochemotherapy, following gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel, in patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer will show a signal for improved 2-year OS from 10% to 22.5% as compared to chemotherapy with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel alone.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

* I. To evaluate patterns of failure (local and systemic progression) by SMAD family member 4 (SMAD4) status and intensity of radiation therapy.

* II. To evaluate the impact of radiochemotherapy on OS for the subset of SMAD4 intact patients.

* III. To evaluate adverse events associated with the treatments.

* IV. To evaluate correlation between SMAD4 status determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and genetic SMAD4 status.

Patients are randomized to 1 of 3 treatment arms.

After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up at 1 month and then every 3 months.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
TERMINATED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
20
Inclusion Criteria
  1. Histologically or cytologically proven diagnosis of adenocarcinoma of the pancreas prior to registration

  2. Tumor diameter ≤ 7 cm

  3. Unresectable by radiographic criteria (pancreas protocol CT or MRI) or exploration within 30 days prior to registration.

  4. A cell block or core biopsy must be submitted for central review and analysis of SMAD4 status as soon as possible following step 1 registration.

  5. No distant metastases, based upon the following minimum diagnostic workup:

    • History/physical examination within 30 days prior to registration
    • Whole body fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computerized tomography (FDG-PET/CT) within 30 days prior to registration NOTE: If whole-body FDG-PET/CT is not performed, CT of the chest and CT (or MRI) of abdomen and pelvis must be obtained (imaging of abdomen and pelvis need not be repeated if already included in pancreas protocol study)
  6. Zubrod Performance Status 0-1 within 30 days prior to registration

  7. Age ≥ 18;

  8. Complete blood count (CBC)/differential obtained within 14 days prior to step 1 registration, with adequate bone marrow function defined as follows:

    • Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1,500 cells/mm3
    • Platelets ≥ 100,000 cells/mm3
    • Hemoglobin ≥ 8.0 g/dl (NOTE: The use of transfusion or other intervention to achieve Hgb ≥ 8.0 g/dl is acceptable)
  9. Additional laboratory studies within 14 days prior to registration:

    • carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9); NOTE: in the event that a stent has been placed and biliary obstruction has been relieved, the CA19-9 should be drawn post stent placement
    • Creatinine < 2 mg/dl; Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) > 50 mL/min (Cockroft and Gault formula)
    • Bilirubin < 1.5 x ULN
    • Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aminotransferase (AST) ≤ 2.5 x ULN
    • Activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), prothrombin time (PT) ≤1.2 x upper limit of normal (ULN)
  10. Patient must provide study specific informed consent prior to study entry

  11. Women of childbearing potential and male participants must practice adequate contraception during protocol treatment and for at least 6 months following treatment

  12. For females of child-bearing potential, negative serum pregnancy test within 30 days prior to registration

Exclusion Criteria
  1. More than one primary lesion

  2. Prior invasive malignancy (unless disease free for a minimum of 1095 days [3 years]); Non-melanomatous skin cancer and previous early prostate cancer that had a non-rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) are eligible

  3. Prior systemic anti-cancer therapy for pancreatic cancer; note that prior chemotherapy for a different cancer is allowable

  4. Prior radiation therapy to the abdomen that would result in overlap of radiation therapy fields

  5. Severe, active co-morbidity, defined as follows:

    • Unstable angina and/or congestive heart failure requiring hospitalization within the last 6 months
    • Transmural myocardial infarction within the last 6 months
    • Acute bacterial or fungal infection requiring intravenous antibiotics at the time of registration
    • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease exacerbation or other respiratory illness requiring hospitalization or precluding study therapy within 30 days before registration
    • Hepatic insufficiency resulting in clinical jaundice and/or coagulation defects; note, however, that laboratory tests for liver function and coagulation parameters are not required for entry into this protocol
    • Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) based upon current Centers for Disease Control (CDC) definition; note, however, that HIV testing is not required for entry into this protocol. The need to exclude patients with AIDS from this protocol is necessary because the treatments involved in this protocol may be significantly immunosuppressive. Protocol-specific requirements may also exclude immuno-compromised patients
  6. Pregnancy or women of childbearing potential, women who cannot discontinue breastfeeding and men who are sexually active and not willing/able to use medically acceptable forms of contraception; this exclusion is necessary because the treatment involved in this study may be significantly teratogenic

  7. Prior allergic reaction to the study drug(s) involved in this protocol

  8. Pre-existing Grade 2 or greater neuropathy

  9. Distant metastases

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Chemotherapy + high intensity radiationhigh intensity radiation therapyInduction chemotherapy with four cycles of gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel \[randomized to this arm after 3rd cycle and no progression\]; followed by concurrent high intensity radiation therapy and capecitabine; followed by consolidation chemotherapy with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel until progression or unacceptable toxicity
Chemotherapy + low intensity radiationlow intensity radiation therapyInduction chemotherapy with four cycles of gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel \[randomized to this arm after 3rd cycle and no progression\]; followed by concurrent low intensity radiation therapy and capecitabine; followed by consolidation chemotherapy with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel until progression or unacceptable toxicity
Chemotherapynab-PaclitaxelGemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel until progression or unacceptable toxicity \[randomized to this arm after 3rd cycle and no progression\]
Chemotherapy + low intensity radiationnab-PaclitaxelInduction chemotherapy with four cycles of gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel \[randomized to this arm after 3rd cycle and no progression\]; followed by concurrent low intensity radiation therapy and capecitabine; followed by consolidation chemotherapy with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel until progression or unacceptable toxicity
Chemotherapy + high intensity radiationnab-PaclitaxelInduction chemotherapy with four cycles of gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel \[randomized to this arm after 3rd cycle and no progression\]; followed by concurrent high intensity radiation therapy and capecitabine; followed by consolidation chemotherapy with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel until progression or unacceptable toxicity
Chemotherapy + high intensity radiationGemcitabineInduction chemotherapy with four cycles of gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel \[randomized to this arm after 3rd cycle and no progression\]; followed by concurrent high intensity radiation therapy and capecitabine; followed by consolidation chemotherapy with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel until progression or unacceptable toxicity
Chemotherapy + high intensity radiationCapecitabineInduction chemotherapy with four cycles of gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel \[randomized to this arm after 3rd cycle and no progression\]; followed by concurrent high intensity radiation therapy and capecitabine; followed by consolidation chemotherapy with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel until progression or unacceptable toxicity
Chemotherapy + low intensity radiationCapecitabineInduction chemotherapy with four cycles of gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel \[randomized to this arm after 3rd cycle and no progression\]; followed by concurrent low intensity radiation therapy and capecitabine; followed by consolidation chemotherapy with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel until progression or unacceptable toxicity
Chemotherapy + low intensity radiationGemcitabineInduction chemotherapy with four cycles of gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel \[randomized to this arm after 3rd cycle and no progression\]; followed by concurrent low intensity radiation therapy and capecitabine; followed by consolidation chemotherapy with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel until progression or unacceptable toxicity
ChemotherapyGemcitabineGemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel until progression or unacceptable toxicity \[randomized to this arm after 3rd cycle and no progression\]
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Overall SurvivalFrom randomization until last follow-up. Analysis was to occur after a total of 140 deaths were reported within the pairing of each radiation arm with the chemotherapy alone arm. Maximum follow-up at time of study termination was 8.3 months.

Survival time is defined as time from randomization to date of death from any cause and was to be estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Given the limited follow-up due to early closure and termination of data collection, only the number of patients last reported to be alive at time of study termination is reported.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Overall Survival Within SMAD4 SubsetsFrom randomization until last follow-up. Analysis was to occur after a total of 140 deaths were reported within the pairing of each radiation arm with the chemotherapy alone arm. Maximum follow-up at time of study termination was 8.3 months.

Survival time is defined as time from randomization to date of death from any cause and was to be estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Given the limited follow-up due to early closure and termination of data collection, only the number of patients last reported to be alive at time of study termination is reported. Patients are categorized by SMAD4 status of "intact" (positive nuclear labeling is observed of the neoplastic cells ), "loss" (no labeling observed of the neoplastic cells) , or "undetermined" (insufficient material for immunostaining or results are equivocal). This study terminated early with only 20 registered (346 planned) and 13 randomized (288 planned). There are no proven results as to which category has better incomes, but this study hypothesizes that "intact" is highly correlated with local failures and "loss" is highly correlated with widespread metastasis, in which case "intact" would correspond with positive results relative to "loss".

Patterns of Failure (Local and Metastatic Failure)From randomization until last follow-up. Maximum follow-up at time of study termination was 8.3 months.

Local progression is defined as least a 20% increase in the sum of diameters of the primary, taking as reference the baseline sum. Given the inherent inaccuracy in determining size of a primary pancreatic carcinoma, in addition to the relative increase of 20%, the sum must also demonstrate an absolute increase of at least 5 mm and progression must be demonstrated on at least two sequential scans. Metastatic failure is defined as metastatic disease. Local and distant failure were to be estimated by the cumulative incidence method. Given the limited follow-up due to early closure and termination of data collection, only the number of patients with failure is reported.

Correlation Between SMAD4 Status Determined by Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Genetic SMAD4 StatusBaseline

Trial Locations

Locations (46)

Radiation Oncology Associates PC

🇺🇸

Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States

University of Rochester

🇺🇸

Rochester, New York, United States

Emory University/Winship Cancer Institute

🇺🇸

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Saint Joseph Hospital

🇺🇸

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Johns Hopkins University/Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center

🇺🇸

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

University of Pennsylvania/Abramson Cancer Center

🇺🇸

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Bay Area Medical Center

🇺🇸

Marinette, Wisconsin, United States

Sanford USD Medical Center - Sioux Falls

🇺🇸

Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States

Kaiser Permanente Medical Center - Santa Clara

🇺🇸

Santa Clara, California, United States

Intermountain Medical Center

🇺🇸

Murray, Utah, United States

M D Anderson Cancer Center

🇺🇸

Houston, Texas, United States

Akron General Medical Center

🇺🇸

Akron, Ohio, United States

Central Vermont Medical Center/National Life Cancer Treatment

🇺🇸

Berlin, Vermont, United States

Reading Hospital

🇺🇸

West Reading, Pennsylvania, United States

McKay-Dee Hospital Center

🇺🇸

Ogden, Utah, United States

Thompson Cancer Survival Center

🇺🇸

Knoxville, Tennessee, United States

Saint Vincent Hospital

🇺🇸

Green Bay, Wisconsin, United States

Paoli Memorial Hospital

🇺🇸

Paoli, Pennsylvania, United States

Bryn Mawr Hospital

🇺🇸

Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, United States

University of Vermont Medical Center

🇺🇸

Burlington, Vermont, United States

Door County Cancer Center

🇺🇸

Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, United States

Huntsman Cancer Institute/University of Utah

🇺🇸

Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

Lankenau Medical Center

🇺🇸

Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, United States

Kaiser Permanente Oakland-Broadway

🇺🇸

Oakland, California, United States

OSF Saint Francis Medical Center Radiation Oncology Service at the Central Illinois Comprehensive CC

🇺🇸

Peoria, Illinois, United States

OSF Saint Francis Medical Center

🇺🇸

Peoria, Illinois, United States

Kaiser Permanente Cancer Treatment Center

🇺🇸

South San Francisco, California, United States

Decatur Memorial Hospital

🇺🇸

Decatur, Illinois, United States

Parkview Hospital Randallia

🇺🇸

Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States

Iowa Methodist Medical Center

🇺🇸

Des Moines, Iowa, United States

Saint Joseph Mercy Hospital

🇺🇸

Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

Mayo Clinic

🇺🇸

Rochester, Minnesota, United States

Sanford Clinic North-Bemidgi

🇺🇸

Bemidji, Minnesota, United States

Mercy Hospital Springfield

🇺🇸

Springfield, Missouri, United States

Rice Memorial Hospital

🇺🇸

Willmar, Minnesota, United States

Mercy Hospital Saint Louis

🇺🇸

Saint Louis, Missouri, United States

CoxHealth South Hospital

🇺🇸

Springfield, Missouri, United States

Sanford Bismarck Medical Center

🇺🇸

Bismarck, North Dakota, United States

Fox Chase Cancer Center at Virtua Memorial Hospital of Burlington County

🇺🇸

Mount Holly, New Jersey, United States

McFarland Clinic PC-William R Bliss Cancer Center

🇺🇸

Ames, Iowa, United States

Ochsner Medical Center Jefferson

🇺🇸

New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Boston Medical Center

🇺🇸

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Roger Maris Cancer Center

🇺🇸

Fargo, North Dakota, United States

Saint Mary's Hospital

🇺🇸

Green Bay, Wisconsin, United States

Capital Health Medical Center-Hopewell

🇺🇸

Pennington, New Jersey, United States

Rhode Island Hospital

🇺🇸

Providence, Rhode Island, United States

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