Combination Chemotherapy and Bevacizumab With or Without Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer

Colorectal Cancer Clinical Trial

Official title: A Pilot Study of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy With Selective Use of Radiation for Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as oxaliplatin, fluorouracil, and leucovorin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Monoclonal antibodies, such as bevacizumab, 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. Bevacizumab may also stop the growth of rectal cancer by blocking blood flow to the tumor. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Giving combination chemotherapy and bevacizumab together with radiation therapy before surgery may make the tumor smaller and reduce the amount of normal tissue that needs to be removed.

PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying how well giving combination chemotherapy and bevacizumab with or without radiation therapy works in treating patients with locally advanced rectal cancer

Clinical Trial Description

OBJECTIVES:

Primary

• Determine whether neoadjuvant chemotherapy comprising oxaliplatin, fluorouracil, leucovorin calcium (FOLFOX), and bevacizumab can be substituted for pelvic radiotherapy without compromising R0 resection rates in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.

Secondary

• Determine whether a 3-year local recurrence rate of ≤ 10% can be achieved in patients treated with this regimen.

• Determine the proportion of patients who achieve a complete pathologic response after treatment with this regimen.

OUTLINE: This is a non-randomized, open-label, pilot study.

• Neoadjuvant chemotherapy: Patients receive oxaliplatin IV over 2 hours, leucovorin calcium IV over 2 hours, and bevacizumab IV over 10 minutes on day 1 and fluorouracil IV continuously over 48 hours on days 1 and 2 in weeks 1, 3, 5, and 7. Patients then receive oxaliplatin IV over 2 hours and leucovorin calcium IV over 2 hours on day 1 and fluorouracil IV continuously over 48 hours on days 1 and 2 in weeks 9 and 11. Treatment continues in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Within 3 weeks after completion of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, patients undergo restaging evaluation. Patients with no evidence of disease progression by endorectal ultrasound (ERUS), pelvic MRI, and CT scan of the chest/abdomen AND who remain candidates for R0 resection may proceed directly to surgical resection within 4-6 weeks after completion of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Patients with progressive disease who are not candidates for an R0 resection, proceed to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

• Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy: Patients undergo pelvic radiotherapy 5 days a week and receive concurrent fluorouracil IV continuously for 5½ weeks. Within 4-7 weeks after completion of chemoradiotherapy, patients undergo surgical resection.

After completion of study treatment, patients are followed every 3 months for 1 year and then every 6 months for 5 years.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 36 patients will be accrued for this study. ;

Study Design

Endpoint Classification: Safety/Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Colorectal Cancer

• NCT number: NCT00462501
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: March 2007
• Completion date: February 2014