Conditions: Recurrent Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma Stage IIIB Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer AJCC v7 Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer AJCC v7
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 130
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
This randomized phase II trial studies pemetrexed disodium and sunitinib malate to compare how well they work when given alone or together as second-line therapy in treating patients with stage IIIB or stage IV non-small cell lung cancer. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as pemetrexed disodium, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Sunitinib malate may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth and by blocking blood flow to the tumor. It is not yet known whether pemetrexed disodium and sunitinib malate are more effective when given alone or together in treating non-small cell lung cancer.

Detailed description:
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To estimate the 18 week progression-free survival rate of pemetrexed (pemetrexed disodium) alone (Arm I), sunitinib (sunitinib malate) alone (Arm II) and pemetrexed plus sunitinib (Arm III) in the second-line setting of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To compare the progression-free survival of the three arms. II. To estimate the response rate, duration of response, rate of stable disease, overall survival and to characterize the toxicity profiles of the three arms.

III. To estimate the response rate, duration of response, rate of stable disease, overall survival and toxicity of sunitinib in those patients on Arm I that receive this regimen in the third line setting.

IV. To assess vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) haplotypes in advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

V. To test change in tumor size at 6 weeks (after 2 cycles of therapy, typically the first evaluation point in this type of study) as an early predictor of therapeutic activity in second-line treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.

OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 3 treatment arms.

ARM I: Patients receive pemetrexed disodium intravenously (IV) over 10 minutes on day 1. Courses repeat every 21 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients with documented disease progression may then receive sunitinib malate as in Arm II as third-line therapy.

ARM II: Patients receive sunitinib malate orally (PO) once daily (QD) on days 1-21. Courses repeat every 21 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients with documented disease progression may then receive pemetrexed disodium as in Arm I as third-line therapy.

ARM III: Patients receive pemetrexed disodium IV over 10 minutes on day 1 and sunitinib malate PO QD on days 1-21. Courses repeat every 21 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients with documented disease progression may then receive third-line therapy at the discretion of the treating physician.

After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up every 6 weeks until disease progression and then every 6 months for 2 years.

Arms:
arm 1: Patients receive pemetrexed disodium 500 mg/m\^2 IV over 10 minutes on day 1. Courses repeat every 21 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients with documented disease progression may then receive sunitinib malate as in Arm II as third-line therapy. arm 2: Patients receive sunitinib malate at 37.5 mg PO QD on days 1-21. Courses repeat every 21 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients with documented disease progression may then receive pemetrexed disodium as in Arm I as third-line therapy. arm 3: Patients receive pemetrexed disodium 500 mg/m\^2 IV over 10 minutes on day 1 and sunitinib malate at 37.5 mg PO QD on days 1-21. Courses repeat every 21 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients with documented disease progression may then receive third-line therapy at the discretion of the treating physician.

Interventions: intervention 1: Laboratory Biomarker Analysis intervention 2: Pemetrexed Disodium intervention 3: Sunitinib Malate
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Correlative studies intervention 2: Given IV intervention 3: Given PO

Protocol document: