A Phase II Study of Isolated Hepatic Perfusion (IHP) in Patients With Ocular Melanoma

Melanoma Clinical Trial

Official title: A Phase II Study of Isolated Hepatic Perfusion (IHP) With Melphalan Followed by Temozolomide for Subjects With Unresectable Hepatic Metastases From Ocular Melanoma

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

Ocular melanoma, or cancer of the eye, is a rare form of cancer that can spread to the liver. A tumor in the liver, because of its size or location, sometimes cannot be removed with surgery.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether chemotherapy delivered only to the liver, called isolated hepatic perfusion (IHP), followed by systemic (to the whole body) chemotherapy improves the ability to treat cancer.

Study participants must be 18 years or older and have ocular melanoma that has spread to the liver. Before enrolling in the study, they will undergo the following evaluations: a physical exam; x-rays; blood tests; electrocardiogram; computed tomography (CT) scan of the chest, abdomen and pelvis; and a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the liver.

The study includes a 15-minute quality-of-life questionnaire. Participants will complete the questionnaire 7 times over a period of 2 years to help investigators gauge their health status and progress.

A laparotomy is done, which allows a surgeon to view the tumor in the liver through a small incision in the abdomen while the patient is under general anesthesia. Sometimes the tumor can spread outside the liver in a way that cannot be seen by pre-operative scans. When this happens, the participant is ineligible to continue in the study, since an important part of the treatment is given only to the liver.

If the laparotomy reveals that the participant is eligible for the remainder of the study, the participant will receive IHP treatment during the surgery. Plastic tubes called catheters are placed in the vein and artery that feed and drain the liver. This creates a separate blood supply for the liver alone. Heated chemotherapy is then given into the liver blood supply for one hour, while being carefully kept out of the rest of the body.

After recovering from the surgery, eligible participants will receive a systemic chemotherapy called temozolomide for up to one year. This chemotherapy is taken by mouth in capsule form.

Participants will be asked to return to NIH 10-11 times during the first year to evaluate their progress.

Clinical Trial Description

Patients with unresectable hepatic metastases secondary to ocular melanoma will undergo a 60 minute hyperthermic isolated hepatic perfusion with 1.5mg/kg melphalan followed by up to one year of oral temozolomide. Response to treatment, duration of response, patterns of failure, survival, and quality of life end-points will be followed. ;

Study Design

Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Melanoma

• NCT number: NCT00062933
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 2
• Start date: June 2003
• Completion date: March 2008