Clinical trial NCT00003444: Interferon Alfa-2b With or Without Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Melanoma That Has Metastasized to Lymph Nodes in the Neck, Under the Arm, or in the Groin
Official title: A Prospective Randomized Phase III Clinical Trial Assessing the Role of Post-Operative Radiotherapy Plus Adjuvant Interferon Alpha-2b in Patients With Cervical, Axillary, and Inguinal Nodal Metastasis From Cutaneous Melanoma
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: PHASE3
Conditions: Melanoma (Skin)
Keywords: stage III melanoma
stage IV melanoma
recurrent melanoma
Lead sponsor: Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group
Sponsor class: NETWORK
Collaborators: name: National Cancer Institute (NCI)
First posted: 2004-05-24
Enrollment: 167
Sex: FEMALE
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 120
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Interferon alfa-2b may interfere with the growth of cancer cells. It is not yet known whether giving radiation therapy with interferon alfa-2b is more effective than giving interferon alfa-2b alone in treating melanoma.

PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of radiation therapy plus interferon alfa-2b with that of interferon alfa-2b alone in treating patients who have melanoma that has metastasized to lymph nodes in the neck, under the arm, or in the groin.

Detailed description: OBJECTIVES: I. Evaluate the effectiveness of postoperative hypofractionated radiotherapy in combination with high dose interferon in preventing regional relapse in patients with malignant melanoma with any number of nodes with clinical extracapsular extension or previous nodal basin recurrence. II. Evaluate the effectiveness of this therapy in prolonging relapse free and overall survival in this patient population. III. Evaluate the toxicity of this therapy in this patient population.

OUTLINE: This is a randomized study. Patients are stratified according to prior nodal basin recurrence, site of disease, and extracapsular extension. Following surgery, patients are randomized to receive either interferon alfa-2b alone or five treatments of radiotherapy followed by interferon alfa-2b. Patients receive radiotherapy 2 days a week for 2.5 weeks. Patients receive interferon alfa-2b IV over 20 minutes daily for 5 days for a total of 28 days, followed by subcutaneous injections 3 times a week for 48 weeks. Patients are followed every 3 months for 2 years, then every 6 months for 3 years, then annually thereafter.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: Approximately 167 patients will be accrued for this study within 3 years.

Eligibility criteria: DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically documented malignant melanoma in node(s) meeting one or more of the following criteria: 1 or more lymph nodes found to contain metastatic melanoma with gross evidence of extracapsular nodal extension Nodal recurrence at the site of previous lymphadenectomy All gross cancer removed with negative margins Prior node biopsy allowed if complete nodal dissection performed Parotid involvement outside a node allowed No distant metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 and over Performance status: ECOG 0-1 Life expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: WBC at least 4,000/mm3 Platelet count at least 125,000/mm3 Hematocrit at least 33% Hepatic: AST no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN) LDH no greater than 2 times ULN Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2 times ULN Bilirubin no greater than 2 times ULN If LDH or alkaline phosphatase are above normal, CT or MRI of liver required Renal: Creatinine no greater than 1.8 mg/dL BUN no greater than 33 mg/dL Other: Not pregnant or nursing Fertile patients must use effective contraception No other prior or concurrent malignancies within 2 years, except any carcinoma in situ, lobular carcinoma of the breast in situ, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, atypical melanocytic hyperplasia or Clark I melanoma in situ, or basal or squamous cell skin cancer

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: No prior interferon Chemotherapy: Not specified Endocrine therapy: Not specified Radiotherapy: No prior radiotherapy to the head and neck, axillary, or inguinal areas Surgery: See Disease Characteristics Recovered from prior surgery

Primary outcomes:
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Atlanta
country: United States
facility: Emory University Hospital - Atlanta
state: Georgia
city: Decatur
country: United States
facility: Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Atlanta (Decatur)
state: Georgia
city: Chicago
country: United States
facility: Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University
state: Illinois
city: Chicago
country: United States
facility: Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Chicago (Lakeside)
state: Illinois
city: Decatur
country: United States
facility: CCOP - Central Illinois
state: Illinois
city: Peoria
country: United States
facility: CCOP - Illinois Oncology Research Association
state: Illinois
city: Cedar Rapids
country: United States
facility: CCOP - Cedar Rapids Oncology Project
state: Iowa
city: Boston
country: United States
facility: New England Medical Center Hospital
state: Massachusetts
city: Boston
country: United States
facility: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
state: Massachusetts
city: Kalamazoo
country: United States
facility: CCOP - Kalamazoo
state: Michigan
city: Duluth
country: United States
facility: CCOP - Duluth
state: Minnesota
city: Saint Louis Park
country: United States
facility: CCOP - Metro-Minnesota
state: Minnesota
city: East Orange
country: United States
facility: Veterans Affairs Medical Center - East Orange
state: New Jersey
city: Hackensack
country: United States
facility: CCOP - Northern New Jersey
state: New Jersey
city: Hackensack
country: United States
facility: Hackensack University Medical Center
state: New Jersey
city: Red Bank
country: United States
facility: Riverview Medical Center
state: New Jersey
city: Albany
country: United States
facility: Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Albany
state: New York
city: Cleveland
country: United States
facility: Ireland Cancer Center
state: Ohio
city: Danville
country: United States
facility: CCOP - Geisinger Clinical and Medical Center
state: Pennsylvania
city: Pittsburgh
country: United States
facility: University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute
state: Pennsylvania
city: Pittsburgh
country: United States
facility: UPMC St. Margaret
state: Pennsylvania
city: Milwaukee
country: United States
facility: Medical College of Wisconsin
state: Wisconsin
city: Milwaukee
country: United States
facility: Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Milwaukee (Zablocki)
state: Wisconsin
Study officials:
affiliation: UPMC Cancer Center at UPMC St. Margaret
name: Maury M. Rosenstein, MD
role: STUDY_CHAIR
References: