Floxuridine and Dexamethasone as a Hepatic Arterial Infusion and Bevacizumab in Treating Patients With Primary Liver Cancer That Cannot be Removed by Surgery

Liver Cancer Clinical Trial

Official title: A Phase II Study of Hepatic Arterial Infusion With Floxuridine and Dexamethasone in Combination With Intravenous Bevacizumab (A Monoclonal Antibody to Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-A), in Patients With Unresectable Primary Hepatic Malignancy

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as floxuridine and dexamethasone, 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 tumor cells by blocking blood flow to the tumor. Giving chemotherapy directly into the arteries around the tumor together with bevacizumab may kill more tumor cells.

PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving floxuridine and dexamethasone as a hepatic arterial infusion together with bevacizumab works in treating patients with unresectable primary liver cancer.

Clinical Trial Description

OBJECTIVES:

Primary

• Determine the median time to progression in patients with unresectable primary hepatic malignancy treated with hepatic arterial infusion comprising floxuridine and dexamethasone in combination with systemic bevacizumab.

Secondary

• Determine the utility of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) for assessing changes in tumor perfusion before and during treatment.

• Correlate DCE-MRI findings with radiographic tumor response.

Tertiary

• Correlate the expression patterns of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor (VEGFR)-1, VEGFR-2, and VEGFR-3 and their cognate ligands (including VEGF-A, VEGF-B, VEGF-C, VEGF-D, and placenta growth factor [PlGF]) with disease progression and survival after therapy.

• Assess the pro-angiogenic activity of peripheral blood before and during treatment.

• Assess tumors for immunohistochemical markers of hypoxia (e.g., hypoxia-inducible factor [HIF-1α], carbonic anhydrase IX [CA IX], and glucose transporters [Glut-1 and Glut-3]) for correlation with initial and treatment-related changes in perfusion and permeability, as determined by DCE-MRI.

OUTLINE: This is an open-label, nonrandomized study.

Patients undergo placement of the hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) pump and a cholecystectomy. Approximately 2 weeks later, patients receive floxuridine and dexamethasone by HAI continuously on days 1-14 and bevacizumab IV over 30-90 minutes on day 15 of course 1 and on days 1 and 15 of all subsequent courses. Courses repeat every 4 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Patients undergo dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) on days 1 and 15 of course 1 and then every 8 weeks thereafter.

Tumor and nontumor tissue is collected at the time of the HAI pump placement. Tissue is examined for the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A, -B, -C, and -D, placenta growth factor (PlGF), and VEGF receptor (VEGFR)-1, -2, and -3 by immunohistochemistry. Peripheral blood is collected at baseline and on day 1 of each course. Plasma levels of VEGF-A, -B, -C, and -D are measured by immunoenzyme techniques. Blood is also examined by flow cytometry and immunological methods and by protein extraction and analysis of VEGF and VEGFR expression (by western blot). Immunohistochemical markers of hypoxia in tissue, including hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1α), carbonic anhydrase IX (CA IX), glucose transporters (Glut-1 and Glut-3), and Ki-67 are assessed.

After completion of study treatment, patients are followed periodically.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 55 patients will be accrued for this study. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Liver Cancer
• Liver Neoplasms

• NCT number: NCT00410956
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 2
• Start date: May 9, 2007
• Completion date: May 7, 2024