Conditions: Metastatic Melanoma
Keywords: stage IV melanoma recurrent melanoma
Allocation: NON_RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: SEQUENTIAL
Enrollment: 20
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as temozolomide, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Calcitriol may help temozolomide kill more tumor cells by making them more sensitive to the drug. Calcitriol may also stop the growth of melanoma by blocking blood flow to the tumor.

PURPOSE: This phase I/II trial is studying the best dose of calcitriol, the side effects of calcitriol when given together with temozolomide, and to see how well they work in treating patients with metastatic stage IV melanoma.

Detailed description:
\* Phase I: Patients receive oral calcitriol on days 1 and 15 and oral temozolomide on days 2-8 and 16-22. Treatment repeats every 28 days for 2 courses in the absence of unacceptable toxicity. Responding patients continue therapy for up to 6 courses in the absence of unacceptable toxicity.

Cohorts of 3-6 patients receive escalating doses of calcitriol until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is determined. The MTD is defined as the dose preceding that at which 2 of 6 patients experience dose limiting toxicity.

* Phase II: Patients receive temozolomide and calcitriol at the MTD as in phase I.

After completion of study treatment, patients are followed every 3 months.

Arms:
arm 1: Temozolomide dose of 150 mg/m2 will be administered orally on days 2-8 and 16-22 every cycle where 1 cycle equals 28 days.

Calcitriol dose of 0.2 mcg/kg will be administered orally on days 1 and 15 every cycle where 1 cycle equals 28 days. arm 2: Temozolomide dose of 150 mg/m2 will be administered orally on days 2-8 and 16-22 every cycle where 1 cycle equals 28 days.

Calcitriol dose of 0.3 mcg/kg will be administered orally on days 1 and 15 every cycle where 1 cycle equals 28 days. arm 3: Temozolomide dose of 150 mg/m2 will be administered orally on days 2-8 and 16-22 every cycle where 1 cycle equals 28 days.

Calcitriol dose of 0.5 mcg/kg will be administered orally on days 1 and 15 every cycle where 1 cycle equals 28 days. arm 4: Temozolomide dose of 150 mg/m2 will be administered orally on days 2-8 and 16-22 every cycle where 1 cycle equals 28 days.

Calcitriol dose of 0.5 mcg/kg will be administered orally on days 1 and 15 every cycle where 1 cycle equals 28 days.

Interventions: intervention 1: Calcitriol intervention 2: Temozolomide
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: The patient will receive calcitriol in capsule form by mouth on Days 1 and 15 of every cycle intervention 2: The patient will receive temozolomide in capsule form by mouth on Days 2-8 and 16-22 of each 28 study treatment cycle

Protocol document: