Clinical trial NCT00002570: Immediate Compared With Delayed Chemotherapy in Advanced Colorectal Cancer Without Signs or Symptoms of Disease
Official title: A Phase III Study of Immediate Versus Delayed Chemotherapy for Asymptomatic Advanced Colorectal Cancer
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: PHASE3
Conditions: Colorectal Cancer
Keywords: stage III colon cancer
stage IV colon cancer
stage III rectal cancer
stage IV rectal cancer
recurrent colon cancer
recurrent rectal cancer
Lead sponsor: Canadian Cancer Trials Group
Sponsor class: NETWORK
Collaborators: name: North Central Cancer Treatment Group
First posted: 2004-08-31
Enrollment: 67
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 79
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining more than one drug may kill more tumor cells. It is not yet known which treatment regimen is more effective for colorectal cancer.

PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of immediate with delayed fluorouracil plus leucovorin in treating patients with advanced colorectal cancer without signs or symptoms of disease.

Detailed description: OBJECTIVES: I. Compare survival and quality of life in asymptomatic patients with advanced colorectal cancer randomized to immediate fluorouracil/leucovorin (5-FU/CF) vs. 5-FU/CF delayed until onset of symptoms.

OUTLINE: Randomized, unblinded study. Arm I: Single-Agent Chemotherapy with Drug Modulation. Fluorouracil, 5-FU, NSC-19893; with Leucovorin calcium, CF, NSC-3590. Arm II: Observation followed by Single-Agent Chemotherapy with Drug Modulation. Clinical observation until symptomatic; followed by 5-FU; with CF.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: 144 patients will be entered over 4 years.

Eligibility criteria: DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically or cytologically confirmed cancer of the colon or rectum that is locally advanced or metastatic Primary lesion was or is located in the large bowel as confirmed by endoscopy, radiology, or surgery Radiologic or clinical evidence of metastasis subsequent to resection does not require histologic or cytologic confirmation unless: Interval between primary surgery and development of metastasis is greater than 5 years OR Primary cancer was Dukes' A or B1 Ineligible for potentially curative therapy, e.g.: Surgical resection of a limited hepatic or pulmonary metastasis Irradiation of locally recurrent colon or rectal cancer No or minimal symptoms related to the cancer, i.e.: No persistent pain requiring regular narcotic analgesia No persistent fever greater than 38 degrees C No symptomatic bowel obstruction No persistent nausea requiring medication No weight loss of greater than 5 kg over the previous 3 months unless clearly not associated with the cancer (e.g., associated with surgery or intercurrent illness) Symptomatic relapse/metastases rendered asymptomatic by secondary surgery or radiotherapy are eligible provided the patient remains asymptomatic for at least 6 weeks following such treatment No CNS metastases No significant ascites, pleural effusion, or pericardial effusion

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: Adult under 80 (i.e., of legal age to sign own informed consent according to institutional policy) Performance status: Karnofsky 90-100% ECOG 0 Hematopoietic: Granulocytes at least 1,500/mm3 Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3 Hepatic: Bilirubin no greater than upper limit of normal Renal: Creatinine less than 2.26 mg/dL Cardiovascular: No arrhythmia Other: No infection No other medical condition that is uncontrolled or could be aggravated by the protocol therapy No prior or concurrent second cancer except: Nonmelanomatous skin cancer In situ cervical cancer No pregnant women Adequate contraception required of fertile patients Blood/body fluid analyses to determine eligibility and quality-of-life questionnaire completed within 14 days prior to randomization; imaging studies of sites of disease completed within 28 days prior to randomization

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: Not specified Chemotherapy: No prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease or local recurrence Prior fluorouracil-based or other adjuvant therapy allowed At least 6 months required between completion of therapy and documentation of metastasis or recurrence Endocrine therapy: Not specified Radiotherapy: Prior radiotherapy allowed Surgery: Prior surgery allowed

Primary outcomes:
measure: Survival
timeFrame: 8 years
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Quality of life
timeFrame: 8 years
measure: Toxicity
timeFrame: 8 years
measure: Time to progression
timeFrame: 8 years
measure: response rate
timeFrame: 8 years
measure: response duration
timeFrame: 8 years
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Scottsdale
country: United States
facility: CCOP - Scottsdale Oncology Program
state: Arizona
city: Peoria
country: United States
facility: CCOP - Illinois Oncology Research Association
state: Illinois
city: Urbana
country: United States
facility: CCOP - Carle Cancer Center
state: Illinois
city: Cedar Rapids
country: United States
facility: CCOP - Cedar Rapids Oncology Project
state: Iowa
city: Des Moines
country: United States
facility: CCOP - Iowa Oncology Research Association
state: Iowa
city: Sioux City
country: United States
facility: Siouxland Hematology-Oncology
state: Iowa
city: New Orleans
country: United States
facility: CCOP - Ochsner
state: Louisiana
city: Ann Arbor
country: United States
facility: CCOP - Ann Arbor Regional
state: Michigan
city: Duluth
country: United States
facility: CCOP - Duluth
state: Minnesota
city: Rochester
country: United States
facility: Mayo Clinic Cancer Center
state: Minnesota
city: Saint Cloud
country: United States
facility: CentraCare Clinic
state: Minnesota
city: Bismarck
country: United States
facility: Quain & Ramstad Clinic, P.C.
state: North Dakota
city: Fargo
country: United States
facility: CCOP - Merit Care Hospital
state: North Dakota
city: Grand Forks
country: United States
facility: Altru Health Systems
state: North Dakota
city: Rapid City
country: United States
facility: Rapid City Regional Hospital
state: South Dakota
city: Sioux Falls
country: United States
facility: CCOP - Sioux Community Cancer Consortium
state: South Dakota
Study officials:
affiliation: Princess Margaret Hospital, Canada
name: Malcolm J. Moore, MD
role: STUDY_CHAIR
affiliation: Mayo Clinic
name: Henry C. Pitot, MD
role: STUDY_CHAIR
References:
citation: Hummer A, Carlo W, Sullivan D, et al.: Extensive hepatic resection does not correlate with toxicity following adjuvant chemotherapy. [Abstract] Proceedings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology 21: A-526, 2002.
citation: Ackland SP, Jones M, Tu D, Simes J, Yuen J, Sargeant AM, Dhillon H, Goldberg RM, Abdi E, Shepherd L, Moore MJ. A meta-analysis of two randomised trials of early chemotherapy in asymptomatic metastatic colorectal cancer. Br J Cancer. 2005 Nov 28;93(11):1236-43. doi: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6602841.