Cancer immunotherapy has been largely adopted in oncology patient management in the last decade. The deep and long responses to immunotherapy have accelerated the approval of these drugs across multiple disease sites. However, these agents can also be toxic to patients, meaning, the patient will have to discontinue treatment and outcomes could be negatively affected. Recently, a combination of two immunotherapy drugs, ipilimumab and nivolumab (ipi/nivo), has been approved for the treatment of intermediate and poor-risk renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients. This powerful combination provides survival benefit, however, it can also be highly toxic leading to discontinuation of this treatment. There has been some evidence that these otherwise toxic drugs can be better tolerated by altering the composition of the patients gut bacteria to create a more diverse and healthy microbiome. The current study will involve Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) before the start of the immunotherapy combination, and during the first two cycles of ipilimumab treatment (the more toxic agent) as supportive therapy to prevent toxicity associated with the ipi/nivo combination. The goal of this project is to study the safety of such FMT combination treatment and reduce occurrence of immune-related toxicities in patients, allowing them to continue their cancer treatments in the hopes of a better outcome. The investigators will also be looking at changes in the immune populations, microbiome profile of patients, response to treatment, and patient survival as secondary objectives.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
20
Fecal microbiota transplantation is the process of administering stool samples derived from healthy donors, which have been processed and prepared into capsules. Capsules will be taken 7 days or more prior to the first treatment with nivolumab and ipilimumab, and 1 to 3 days prior to the next 2 treatments with nivolumab and ipilimumab.
London Regional Cancer Program of the Lawson Health Research Institute
London, Ontario, Canada
Occurence of immune-related colitis associated with ipilimumab/nivolumab treatment
Occurence of grade 3 or higher immune-related colitis from the start of treatment with ipilimumab and nivolumab to 120 days after completion of treatment. Colitis will be graded using the Common Toxicity Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.02.
Time frame: 28 months
Incidence of any immune-related adverse event associated with ipilimumab/nivolumab treatment
Incidence of any immune-related adverse event grade 3 or higher from the start of treatment with ipilimumab and nivolumab to 120 days after completion of treatment. Adverse events will be graded using the Common Toxicity Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.02.
Time frame: 28 months
Proportion of patients who discontinue treatment because of immune-related adverse events
Measured from the start of treatment with ipilimumab and nivolumab to 120 days after completion of treatment.
Time frame: 28 months
Objective response rate
Objective response rate is defined as the proportion of patients achieving a complete response (disappearance of all lesions) and a partial response (30% or more decrease in the sum diameters of the target lesions) (Eisenhauer et al., 2009). Objective response rate will be measured using RECIST criteria version 1.1.
Time frame: Approximately 9 years (end of study)
Changes in patient microbiome following FMT
Changes in patient microbiome will be determined by analysis of gut bacterial composition in patient stool samples at baseline and post-FMT.
Time frame: At baseline (prior to FMT) and prior to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and fourth dose of immunotherapy (approximately 1 week, 3 weeks, 7 weeks , and 10 weeks post FMT).
Success rate of the fecal microbiota transplant
Success will be determined by comparing the make-up of the healthy donor microbiome to the patient's microbiome, using stool samples.
Time frame: At baseline (prior to FMT) and prior to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and fourth dose of immunotherapy (approximately 1 week, 3 weeks, 7 weeks , and 10 weeks post FMT).
Determine the effect on immune response
Effects on the patient immune response will be assessed by examining changes in peripheral blood immune cells, chemokines, cytokines, and other immune and tumor biomarkers.
Time frame: At baseline (prior to FMT) and prior to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and fourth dose of immunotherapy (approximately 1 week, 3 weeks, 7 weeks , and 10 weeks post FMT).
Health related quality of life
Patient reported quality of life will be measured using the standardized questionnaire, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) EQ-5D-5L.
Time frame: 30 months
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