Pemetrexed Disodium, Carboplatin, and Radiation Therapy With or Without Cetuximab in Treating Patients With Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Lung Cancer Clinical Trial

Official title: A Randomized Phase II Study of Radiation Therapy, Pemetrexed and Carboplatin With or Without Cetuximab in Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

RATIONALE: Pemetrexed disodium may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as carboplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Monoclonal antibodies, such as cetuximab, can block tumor growth in different ways. Some block the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Others find tumor cells and help kill them or carry tumor-killing substances to them. Cetuximab may also make tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy. Giving pemetrexed disodium, carboplatin, and radiation therapy together with cetuximab may kill more tumor cells.

PURPOSE: This randomized phase II trial is studying how well giving pemetrexed disodium and carboplatin together with radiation therapy with or without cetuximab works in treating patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer that cannot be removed by surgery.

Clinical Trial Description

OBJECTIVES:

Primary

• Determine the overall survival of patients with unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer treated with pemetrexed disodium, carboplatin, and thoracic radiotherapy with or without cetuximab.

Secondary

• Determine the failure-free survival and response rates in patients treated with these regimens.

• Correlate epidermal growth factor receptor, erbB2, and K-ras mutations with survival and tumor response in patients treated with these regimens.

OUTLINE: This is a randomized, multicenter study.

• Chemoradiotherapy (courses 1-4): Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms.

• Arm I: Patients receive pemetrexed disodium IV over 10 minutes followed by carboplatin IV over 30 minutes on days 1, 22, 43, and 64. Patients also undergo thoracic radiotherapy once daily on days 1-5, 8-12, 15-19, 22-26, 29-33, 36-40, and 43-47.

• Arm II: Patients receive pemetrexed disodium, carboplatin, and thoracic radiotherapy as in arm I. Patients also receive cetuximab IV over 2 hours on day 1 and then IV over 1 hour on days 8, 15, 22, 29, 36, and 43.

• Consolidation chemotherapy (courses 5-8): Beginning 3-5 weeks after completion of chemoradiotherapy, all patients receive consolidation chemotherapy comprising pemetrexed disodium alone IV over 10 minutes on day 1. Treatment repeats every 21 days for 4 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

After completion of study treatment, patients are followed periodically for up to 3 years.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 100 patients (50 per treatment arm) will be accrued for this study within 10-13 months. ;

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung
• Lung Cancer
• Lung Neoplasms

• NCT number: NCT00117962
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 2
• Start date: September 2005
• Completion date: September 2012