Conditions: Adenocarcinoma of the Gastroesophageal Junction Diffuse Adenocarcinoma of the Stomach Intestinal Adenocarcinoma of the Stomach Mixed Adenocarcinoma of the Stomach Recurrent Gastric Cancer Stage IIIB Gastric Cancer Stage IIIC Gastric Cancer Stage IV Gastric Cancer
Allocation: NON_RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 41
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
This phase II trial is studying how well bortezomib with or without irinotecan works in treating patients with gastroesophageal junction or stomach cancer that can not be removed by surgery. Bortezomib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking the enzymes necessary for tumor cell growth. Drugs used in chemotherapy such as irinotecan use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining bortezomib with irinotecan may kill more tumor cells.

Detailed description:
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To determine the response rate for the combination of irinotecan and PS 341 in patients with previously untreated adenocarcinoma of the stomach or GEJ.

II. To determine the response rate for PS341 in patients with previously treated adenocarcinoma of the stomach or GEJ.

III. To determine the toxicities and recovery from toxicities for patients receiving PS 341 alone or in combination with irinotecan IV. To perform GeneChip analysis on biopsy specimens prior to and subsequent to treatment with PS341 to determine changes in patterns of gene expression

OUTLINE: Patients are stratified (stratum 2 closed to accrual as of 9/19/2006) according to prior chemotherapy for advanced disease (yes vs no).

STRATUM 1 (Previously untreated patients): Patients receive bortezomib IV over 3-5 seconds on days 1, 4, 8, and 11 and irinotecan IV over 90 minutes on days 1 and 8.

STRATUM 2 (Previously treated patients) (closed to accrual as of 9/19/2006): Patients receive bortezomib as in stratum 1.

In both strata, courses repeat every 21 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Arms:
arm 1: Patients receive bortezomib IV over 3-5 seconds on days 1, 4, 8, and 11 and irinotecan IV over 90 minutes on days 1 and 8. arm 2: (closed to accrual as of 9/19/2006): Patients receive bortezomib as in stratum 1.

Interventions: intervention 1: bortezomib intervention 2: irinotecan
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Given IV intervention 2: Given IV

Protocol document: