Patients with rectal cancer who are candidates for pre-operative radiation therapy may be enrolled in the Phase I, single center study. Patients will have a full blood count, biochemistry, urinalysis, and ECG for safety evaluation. Sequential cohorts of three patients will be given increasing doses of oral topotecan and fixed doses of concurrent radiation (45 Gy) over five weeks. The starting dose of oral topotecan is 0.25 mg/m2 to be concomitantly administered with radiation (45 Gy) x 5 days every week unless the radiation is interrupted for Holidays/Weekends or toxicity requiring treatment delays occurs. A total of 25 doses are planned.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
26
Topotecan will be provided as capsules for oral administration and will be administered at least 3 hours before radiation therapy.
For radiation therapy, subjects will receive 180 centigray (cGy) per fraction to a total dose of 4500 cGy to the pelvis using a 3 or 4 field technique and high energy photons (\>=6 megavolt \[mv\]).
GSK Investigational Site
Tampa, Florida, United States
To determine the MTD of oral topotecan in combination with pelvic radiation
Time frame: Up to 24 months
To evaluate the toxicity and potential efficacy of oral topotecan and concurrent pelvic radiation for the treatment of rectal cancer. To determine pathologic response to treatment and assessment of sphincter preservation.
Time frame: Up to 24 months
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