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Organ Preservation in Early Rectal Cancer Patients

Phase 2
Active, not recruiting
Conditions
Rectal Cancer
Interventions
Drug: FOLFOX regimen
Registration Number
NCT03548961
Lead Sponsor
Fox Chase Cancer Center
Brief Summary

This is a single arm phase II study of neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by local excision and post-operative chemoradiotherapy in patients with early stage, low rectal adenocarcinoma. After completion of pre-treatment tests/procedures (including pelvic MRI/ERUS; MRI is mandatory at baseline and other imaging is encouraged) and confirmation of eligibility, systemic therapy with FOLFOX will be administered for 12 weeks. 2 to 4 weeks after the chemotherapy, restaging of the primary tumor will be done to evaluate response to therapy (Pelvic MRI and /or sigmoidoscopy). Patients with disease progression or inadequate response to chemotherapy to allow local excision will continue with evaluation and treatment per the current standard of care (chemoradiation followed by TME). These patients will be considered failures for the primary endpoint of the study. Patients who respond to the neoadjuvant chemotherapy will proceed with local excision (open, TEMS or TAMIS), 6-12 weeks after the completion of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, followed by 5-FU based chemoradiotherapy 4-12 weeks after local excision. Patients with positive margins at the time of local excision will also be treated as per standard of care and will be considered as failures. Number of patients who can undergo successful local excision with this approach will define the success of the strategy. After chemoradiation therapy post local excision, patients will be followed closely every 3 months for the first 3 years and then every 2 months for the next 2 years (history/physical, CEA and pelvic MRI). Patients who are deemed failures for the primary end-point will be followed as per standard of care, off-study.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
19
Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria
  1. Patients with contraindication to use FOLFOX chemotherapy and pelvic radiation.
  2. Low risk T1 tumors that fulfill all of the following - size<4 cm, lack of lymphovascular invasion and well differentiated histology, are excluded
  3. High risk T3 tumors that fulfill any of the following - circumferential tumor, extension into mesorectal fascia > 5mm, prediction of positive circumferential resection margin, are also excluded.
  4. T4, node positive or advanced rectal adenocarcinoma. Node positivity defined as nodes greater than 1cm in short axis with loss of uniform cortex/fatty hilum
  5. Patients receiving other investigational agents
  6. Patients who have had chemotherapy (for other malignancies) within 3 years prior to registration
  7. Patients with any prior pelvic radiation therapy
  8. Prior malignancies requiring systemic therapy within the last 3 years (as prior therapy can increase toxicity of current chemo regimen, those patients should be excluded).
  9. History of allergic reactions attributed to compound of similar chemical or biologic composition to the agents used in this study
  10. Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements.
  11. Known HIV-positive patients on combination antiretroviral therapy are ineligible because of the potential for pharmacokinetic interactions with chemotherapeutic drugs. In addition, these patients are at increased risk of lethal infections when treated with marrow-suppressive therapy.
  12. Pregnant or breast feeding.

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
SINGLE_GROUP
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Neoadjuvant chemotherapyFOLFOX regimen-
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
number of patients whose tumor can be resected by local excision with negative margins3 months

Patients who undergo neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and are able to achieve a local excision in early stage lower rectal adenocarcinoma with negative margins

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Number of patients with improved bowel function in patients treated with organ preserving approach for early stage low rectal cancer before and after therapy3 years

Bowel function will be assessed by Bowel Function Index- Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT) version 4 survey to be completed by patients. The survey measures- Physical well-being, social/family well-being, emotional well-being, functional well-being

Number of patients with improved health-related quality of life treated with organ preserving approach for early stage low rectal cancer before and after therapy3 years

Quality of life will be assessed by Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System-10 (PROMIS-10) questionnaire to be completed by patients. This questionnaire will have 10 questions.PROMIS Global-10 allows each of the individual items to be examined separately to provide specific information about perceptions of physical function, pain, fatigue, emotional distress, social health and general perceptions of health.

Disease-free survival (DFS) of patients5 years

DFS will be assessed as the length of time that patient survived without any sign of symptoms of that cancer

Number of patients with improved sexual function treated with organ preserving approach for early stage low rectal cancer before and after therapy3 years

Sexual function in women will be assessed by Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) 2000 and in men will be assessed by International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire respectively to be completed by patients. The questions ask about the patients' sexual feelings and responses.

Overall survival (OS) of patients5 years

OS will be assessed from start of treatment for disease that the patient is still alive

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Fox Chase Cancer Center

🇺🇸

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

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