Conditions: Small Cell Lung Cancer
Keywords: SCLC vaccine immunize
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: FACTORIAL
Enrollment: 69
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The purpose of this research study is to test a tumor (cancer) vaccine given along with chemotherapy to determine if this vaccine will increase the chances of the tumor shrinking and/or the amount of time that people who have this disease will live.

Detailed description:
After initial diagnosis patients will be treated with a standard platinum/etoposide regimen. This standard first-line chemotherapy may/will be administered to patients under the direction of their primary medical oncologist inside or outside of the Moffitt Cancer Center. Patients will receive the platinum drug on day 1 and etoposide on days 1-3 of each 21-day cycle for 4-6 cycles. Patients who have progressive disease (PD) at this point are changed to second line chemotherapy, and will not be eligible to participate in this clinical trial. Patients who achieve a complete response (CR), partial response (PR), or stable disease (SD) after standard first-line chemotherapy will be enrolled. Radiographic studies and tumor measurements are repeated 3-6 weeks after the last dose of chemotherapy (+/- PCI) and may be repeated after prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) at the discretion of the principal investigator (PI) and treating physician.

PCI will be permitted at the discretion of the treating oncologist(s). The initial radiation consultation and simulation should occur as soon as the final staging has occurred. Ideally, treatment should commence 1-2 weeks after final staging has been confirmed and will be administered in 10-15 fractions over a 2-3 week period, as recommended by the treating radiation oncologist. Although steroid use is not prohibited, it is recommended and preferred that they not be used during PCI (steroids will have to be discontinued ≥ 2 weeks before first vaccination). PCI can also be considered between vaccines #4 and #5 or vaccine #5 and #6 in those patients eligible for the second course of vaccinations. Systemic dose of steroids will NOT be allowed in these cases unless strictly necessary and after discussion with the PI.

Patients who achieve CR, PR or SD after the completion of first line chemotherapy +/- PCI will be screened for initial registration. Screening tests and procedures will be performed approximately 4-6 weeks after the completion of first line chemotherapy or 6-9 weeks after completion of PCI. Ideally, screening should be completed 1-2 weeks prior to leukopheresis.

Patients who successfully complete the screening exams for initial registration will be randomized into one of three study arms.

Arms:
arm 1: Arm A - Active Comparator: Observation (Standard of Care) + Second Line Chemotherapy arm 2: Arm B - Experimental: Ad.p53-DC vaccines + Second Line Chemotherapy arm 3: Arm C - Experimental: Ad.p53-DC vaccines + All -trans Retinoic Acid (ATRA) + Second Line Chemotherapy

Interventions: intervention 1: Paclitaxel intervention 2: Drug: Ad.p53-DC vaccines intervention 3: All -trans Retinoic Acid (ATRA)
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: All groups wil receive paclitaxel as second line chemotherapy if their cancer spreads. At any point when a patient develops evidence of progressive disease, the patient will be treated with second-line chemotherapy. Paclitaxel will be given at a dose of 200 mg/m² on day 1 of 21 day cycles. intervention 2: Patients randomized to Arm B will receive vaccinations on 3 occasions, at 2 week intervals. 1-5x106 p53 positive DCs in 1 ml will be injected intradermally into 4 separate sites (0.25 ml injected at each site), in bilateral proximal upper and lower extremities (in the regions of the axillary and inguinal nodal basins). Patients will be restaged approximately 2-3 weeks after vaccine # 3 (first vaccine course). If patients show no sign of disease progression at restaging, then a second leukopheresis will be performed. Patients will then be vaccinated 3 more times (second vaccine course) at 4-week intervals, for a total of 6 possible vaccines. Restaging will occur 2-4 weeks after completing the second vaccine course. Patients in Arm C will receive vaccines at the same dose and schedule as described for patients in Arm B. In addition, they will receive 150 mg/m² of ATRA for 3 days prior to each vaccine administration (followed by vaccine administration on the fourth day). intervention 3: The patients in Arm C will receive vaccines at the same dose and schedule as described for patients in Arm B. In addition, they will receive 150 mg/m² of ATRA for 3 days prior to each vaccine administration (followed by vaccine administration on the fourth day).

Protocol document: