A Phase II Study of Erlotinib Plus Bevacizumab in the Treatment of Advanced Thymoma and Thymic Carcinoma
Overview
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Thymic Cancer
- Sponsor
- Indiana University School of Medicine
- Enrollment
- 18
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- To determine the objective response rate of the combination of erlotinib and bevacizumab in using RECIST.
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- 11 years ago
Overview
Brief Summary
The purpose of this study is to determine the rate of response with the combination of erlotinib and bevacizumab in previously treated patients with thymoma or thymic carcinoma, and to determine potential molecular markers that may predict response to therapy in patients with thymoma or thymic carcinoma.
Detailed Description
We believe that both the EGFR pathway, as well as tumor angiogenesis play an important role in the pathogenesis of thymic neoplasms. Our previous experience with the EGFR inhibitor gefitinib showed a promising, though limited activity in this disease. We hypothesize that combining the novel EGFR inhibitor erlotinib with bevacizumab will have a synergistic effect on this tumor. We have selected the 15mg/kg q21 days of bevacizumab based on the data published by Johnson DH et al, in which 99 patients were randomly assigned to bevacizumab 7.5 (n = 32) or 15 mg/kg (n = 35) plus carboplatin (area under the curve = 6) and paclitaxel (200 mg/m2) every 3 weeks or carboplatin and paclitaxel alone (n = 32). The highest response noted in the high-dose group (31.5%) and 28.1% in the lower dose bevacizumab arm. There was also a trend to improved TTP and OS in the high dose arm, although the study lacked sufficient power to make any definitive conclusions regarding a possible relationship between dose and treatment effect. (105) The safety and efficacy of this dose and schedule was confirmed by E4599 (43). Herbst et al have confirmed the safety of the combination of erlotinib 150 mg/day orally plus bevacizumab 15 mg/kg in a published phase I/II trial (74) This regimen has the potential to provide a new, effective therapy for this malignancy, as well as teaching us important lessons about the biology of the disease. To this end, we would also measure surrogate markers of angiogenesis, such as tumor VEGF expression, serum VCAM-1 and bFGF, as well as urine VEGF. We would also determine tumor expression of phosphorylated EGFR, and analyze the effect of known variant polymorphisms in the VEGF gene on outcomes. We will test tumor samples for expression of EGFR by IHC and FISH to correlate to response.
Investigators
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Histologically confirmed invasive, recurrent or metastatic thymoma or thymic carcinoma not amenable to potentially curative therapy by surgery in the opinion of the investigator. Original biopsy of tumor is sufficient for diagnoses unless otherwise clinically indicated.
- •Patients must have measurable disease per RECIST. Note: Any scans or x-rays used to document measurable disease must be obtained within 28 days prior to registration.
- •Patients must have had prior chemotherapy (no limit for prior regimens) for metastatic disease.
- •Patients must not have had any form of systemic anticancer therapy within 21 days prior to being registered for protocol therapy.
- •Patients receiving radiation therapy must have completed their radiation at least 21 days prior to being registered for protocol therapy, and toxicities due to radiation must have recovered to ≤ grade 1 or baseline prior to registration. Previously radiated area(s) must not be the only site of disease.
- •Be at least 18 years of age at the time of consent.
- •Patient's must have laboratory data as specified below within 14 days of registration to study:
- •Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (unless liver metastases are present, in which case AST/ALT ≤ 5 times upper limit of normal will be acceptable).
- •Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dl.
- •White blood cell (WBC) count \> 3000/mm3
Exclusion Criteria
- Not provided
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
To determine the objective response rate of the combination of erlotinib and bevacizumab in using RECIST.
Time Frame: completion of study
Secondary Outcomes
- To determine the time to progression of patients previously treated with thymoma and thymic carcinoma treated with the combination of erlotinib and bevacizumab.(completion of study)
- To determine the toxicity of the combination of erlotinib and bevacizumab in this patient population.(completion of study)
- To correlate expression of VEGF in primary tumor sample, circulating VCAM-1 and bFGF, urine VEGF levels pre-therapy with response to therapy.(completion of study)
- To assess for the effect of known (functionally accepted) variant polymorphisms in the VEGF gene on outcomes.(completion of study)
- To determine expression of phosphorylated EGFR receptor in tumor specimen(completion of study)
- To correlate expression of EGFR by IHC and FISH with response to therapy.(completion of study)