Patients with advanced or metastatic cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) who are not eligible for curative surgery, transplantation, or ablative therapies will receive nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine chemotherapy. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the combination of nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine. The effectiveness will be determined by improvement in the length of time during and after treatment, that the CCA does not get worse.
Advanced cholangiocarcinomas (CCAs) are aggressive tumors with median survival time after diagnosis of less than 12 months, and five-year overall survival (OS) of \~5% with systemic chemotherapy. Currently available systemic therapies for CCA are largely ineffective, thus the rationale for the proposed research is to investigate targeted delivery of chemotherapy. The goal of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel in patients with advanced CCA. This is based on the premise that nab-paclitaxel binds to SPARC (secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine) through its interaction with albumin, leading to an increase in intra-tumoral concentration of gemcitabine through decreased deoxycytidine deaminase (CDA) enzyme. We hope to improve on the OS of patients with advanced CCA through the use of the synergistic combination of nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine to specifically target the SPARC protein in the peri-tumoral stroma. We aim to provide critical data to further develop pharmacologic strategies to target the desmoplastic stroma in order to increase chemotherapy responsiveness of CCAs. We will also examine whether circulating tumor cell (CTC) levels with targeted gene expression analysis and stromal SPARC levels correlate with patient outcome and thus serve as prognostic biomarkers. We will evaluate the role of Human Equilibrative Nucleoside Transporter 1 (hENT1), CDA and tumor fibrosis as additional prognostic and predictive biomarkers in CCA. This clinical trial hopes to improve on the poor prognosis of patients with advanced CCA by establishing the activity of a platinum-free doublet, nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine that has shown clear clinical benefit in pancreatic cancer which has close biological parallels to CCA. A maximum of 70 patients will be enrolled to attain 67 eligible/evaluable patients. Stage I will enroll 37 patients. If 21 or more patients are alive and progression-free at 6 months, the study will proceed to Stage II and an additional 33 patients will be enrolled. Procurement of archived tissue, if available, from a previous diagnostic biopsy is mandatory for enrollment. If not available, this will not preclude participation in the trial, nor will additional biopsies be performed for research purposes only. Optional blood samples will be requested.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
74
Nab-Paclitaxel will be administered first, at a dose of 125 mg/m² IV over a period of 30 minutes; gemcitabine will be administered second, at a dose of 1000 mg/m² over a period of 30 minutes.
Progression-Free Survival (PFS) Rate at 6 Months (Proportion of Participants Alive and Progression-Free at 6 Months)
Progression-free survival is defined as the time from the date of first study treatment to either the date of documented disease progression or death from any cause, whichever occurred first. Progression-free survival rate at 6 months is defined as the proportion of patients who were disease progression-free and alive at 6 months. Progression is defined using Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors Criteria (RECIST v1.1), as a 20% increase in the sum of the diameter/axes of target lesions, taking as reference the smallest sum on study, or unequivocal progression of existing non-target lesions, or the appearance of new lesions.
Time frame: Assessed at 6 months
Overall Survival (OS)
OS is defined as the time from enrollment until death or last patient contact.
Time frame: Every 3-6 months for up to 3 years
Progression-free Survival (PFS)
Progression-free survival is defined as the time from the date of first study treatment to either the date of documented disease progression or death from any cause, whichever occurred first.
Time frame: Every 3-6 months for up to 3 years
Time To Progression (TTP)
TTP was defined as the time from date of first dose of study therapy to date of removal from study for progression. Patients who have not experienced progression were censored at the date of last disease evaluation. Progression is evaluated using Solid Tumor Response Criteria (RECIST) Version 1.1. Progression is defined as at least a 20% increase in the sum of the diameters/axes of target lesions, taking as reference the smallest sum on study. In addition to the relative increase of 20%, the sum must also demonstrate an absolute increase of at least 5mm over the nadir. The appearance of new lesions or unequivocal progression of existing non-target lesions also constitutes disease progression.
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Colorado Cancer Research Program
Denver, Colorado, United States
Northwestern University
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Advocate Christ Medical Center
Oak Lawn, Illinois, United States
Siouxland Hematology-Oncology Associates
Sioux City, Iowa, United States
Ochsner Medical Center
New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Tufts Medical Center
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
University Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center
Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
St. Joseph Mercy Health System
Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
University of Michigan Health System
Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
University of Michigan Medical Center
Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
...and 15 more locations
Time frame: Every 3-6 months for up to 3 years
Overall Response Rate (ORR)
Overall response rate is defined as the proportion of patients with complete response or partial response per RECIST version 1.1. Complete response is defined as disappearance of all lesions. Partial response is defined as at least a 30% decrease in the sum of the diameters/axes of target lesions and the persistence of one or more non-target lesion(s) and/or the maintenance of tumor marker levels above the normal limits. A confirmation assessment performed \>=4 weeks after the criteria for response is met is required.
Time frame: Every 3-6 months for up to 3 years
Disease Control Rate (DCR)
Disease control rate is the proportion of patients achieved complete response, partial response or stable disease per RECIST version 1.1. Complete response is defined as disappearance of all lesions. Partial response is defined as at least a 30% decrease in the sum of the diameters/axes of target lesions and the persistence of one or more non-target lesion(s) and/or the maintenance of tumor marker levels above the normal limits. Stable disease is defined as neither sufficient shrinkage to qualify for complete or partial response nor sufficient increase to qualify for progression. A confirmation assessment performed \>=4 weeks after the criteria for response is met is required.
Time frame: Every 3-6 months for up to 3 years
Association Between PFS and Maximum Change in Carbohydrate Antigen (CA) 19-9 From Baseline
Patients were dichotomized into maximum CA 19-9 decline \>=50% and maximum CA 19-9 decline \<50%. Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the association between PFS and maximum change in CA 19-9.
Time frame: CA 19-9 was evaluated every 8 weeks until progression or for up to 3 years and off-treatment
Association Between OS and Maximum Change in Carbohydrate Antigen (CA) 19-9 From Baseline
Patients were dichotomized into maximum CA 19-9 decline \>=50% and maximum CA 19-9 decline \<50%. Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the association between OS and maximum change in CA 19-9.
Time frame: CA 19-9 was evaluated every 8 weeks until progression or for up to 3 years and off-treatment