PRIME-RT is an open label, multi-centre phase II randomised trial with 1:1 allocation between arm A and arm B. The principal research question is whether the addition of durvalumab to FOLFOX chemotherapy and radiation treatment (either SCRT or LCRT) in the neoadjuvant setting for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) improves rates of complete response. The working hypothesis is that the use of radiation and cytotoxic chemotherapy may prime the tumour immune microenvironment for treatment with immune checkpoint blockade. The main trial will commence after completion of a safety run-in which will enrol at least three patients per arm to test the safety and tolerability of the treatment combinations in each.
In rectal cancer, strategies to enhance local treatment responses by expanding neoadjuvant regimens are sought to enable organ preservation in more patients. The addition of systemic FOLFOX post long course chemoradiotherapy (LCRT) and post short course radiotherapy (SCRT) has been reported with encouraging results demonstrating higher rates of complete response than with radiotherapy based treatment alone. Immunotherapy using PD-1/ PD-L1 inhibition is recognised to be effective in mismatch repair deficient colorectal cancer (dMMR). Generally, dMMR tumours are characterised by a higher mutational burden, a higher neoantigen load with high density T cell infiltrates and increased expression of PD-1/ PD-L1 in the tumour microenvironment (TME). Mismatch repair proficient (pMMR) colorectal cancer is not thought to be responsive to immunotherapies partly due to the fact they exhibit low levels of tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and PD-1/PD-L1 within the TME. Attempts to expand the role of anti-PD-L1 treatment to pMMR CRC is likely to rely on provision of conventional DNA damaging treatments to increase tumour immunogenicity/ T cell infiltration. At baseline few rectal tumours (10-20%) demonstrate moderate-high grade CD3+ responses within the TME, but there is evidence that radiotherapy (e.g. SCRT or LCRT) and systemic chemotherapy (FOLFOX) induce favourable immune responses. In this phase II trial, the investigators plan to evaluate the potential treatment efficacy of anti-PD-L1 systemic anticancer treatment, durvalumab, alongside either SCRT or LCRT with FOLFOX in the gap up to post treatment assessment. This trial will evaluate rates of complete response in each arm as its primary endpoint in addition to safety and toxicity as secondary endpoints. It is a translationally rich trial which involves the collection of biospecimens prior to, during and following treatment in order to understand the molecular and immunological factors underpinning treatment response. An initial 6 patient safety run-in (3 patients in each arm) will be performed treating patients with metastatic disease with a locally advanced rectal cancer in situ or patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who will never undergo radical surgery due to patient choice, in order to establish safety and lack of significant local toxicity due to the combination (for example colo-proctitis). Depending on the toxicity observed in the first 3 evaluable patients in each of the arm, an additional 3 patients may be add to that arm for the safety run-in cohort. Following an independent safety review and approval by an Independent Data Monitoring Committee (IDMC), the main trial will commence. Following the safety run-in, 42 patients with non-metastatic, biopsy confirmed rectal adenocarcinoma (cT3b+, N+, EMVI+ based on MRI staging or low rectal tumours requiring abdominoperineal resection) will be recruited to the main trial and randomised to one of two treatment arms. These patients must have adequate physical fitness and no previous pelvic radiotherapy or immunotherapy. Recruitment to the Safety Run-in period is expected to take 6 months (based on 6 patients in this cohort) with the main trial taking a further 12 months. Recruitment should therefore take place over a total period of 18 months. If the safety run-in requires more than 6 patients, these timelines will be revised. Patients will be followed up for 36 months from date of randomisation.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
48
Flat dose of 1500mg delivered intravenously over 30 minutes every 4 weeks.
Oxaliplatin 85mg/m2 delivered intravenously as per institutional standard on Day 1 of mFOLFOX6 treatment every 2 weeks. 5-fluorouracil bolus 400mg/m2 delivered intravenously as per institutional standard on D1 of mFOLFOX6 treatment every 2 weeks. 5-fluorouracil infusion 2400mg/m2 delivered intravenously over 46 hours continuously as per institutional standard following bolus 5-fluorouracil.
25 Gray of photon radiation treatment delivered over 5 fractions.
50 Gray of photon radiation treatment delivered over 25 fractions.
Capecitabine is a non-cytotoxic pre-cursor of cytotoxic 5-fluorouracil and delivered in oral form. It is given concomitantly with long course radiation treatment on days of radiotherapy only. The dose is 825mg/m2 and this is delivered twice daily.
Complete response
Pathological or clinical complete response
Time frame: 6 months
Adverse events
Occurrence of Grade 3-5 treatment-emergent adverse events and treatment-related adverse events.
Time frame: During neo-adjuvant treatment and for up to at least 90 days after the last dose of Investigatinal Medicinal Product (IMP).
CD3+ T cell infiltrate
Presence of a moderate-high grade CD3+ T cell infiltrate on rectal tumour biopsy during treatment.
Time frame: Week 2, week 6 and end of treatment (Week 15-18)
Neoadjuvant Rectal (NAR) score
In patients who do not achieve a clinical complete respose (cCR), the proportion of patients with a Neodjuvant Rectal (NAR) score \<8. The NAR score is a pseudo-continuous scale with 24 possible discrete scores ranging from 0-100. A low score was defined as \<8, intermediate as 8-16 and high as \>16 with corresponding 5 year OS in this patient cohort of 92%, 89% and 68% respectively, showing that higher scores are associated with poorer prognosis.
Time frame: Immediately after the surgery
MRI defined tumour regression
Proportion of patients achieving MRI-confirmed near or complete tumour regression
Time frame: End of Treatment (Week 15-18)
MRI defined down-staging
Proportion of patients achieving MRI-confirmed down-staging in T stage
Time frame: End of Treatment (Week 15-18)
Tumour regrowth
Proportion of patients with local regrowth after a cCR.
Time frame: Through study completion, up to 36 months post randomisation
Survival
Overall survival
Time frame: 36 months
Recurrence
Recurrence free survival
Time frame: 36 months
Colostomy
Proportion of patients who have a permanent colostomy.
Time frame: Immediately after surgery / throughout study completion, up to 36 months post randomisation
Delivery of radical treatment
Proportion of patients who proceed to surgery (or who have a complete clinical response and go onto the deferred surgery pathway).
Time frame: End of treatment (Week 15-18)
Radiotherapy delivery
Proportion of patients receiving at least 4 fractions of short course RT or 20 fractions of long course RT.
Time frame: End of treatment (Week 15-18)
Surgical complications
Proportion of patients with Grade 3-5 complications
Time frame: Immediately after surgery
European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Core Questionnaire 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30)
EORTC QLQ-C30 is a 30-item questionnaire to assess the overall quality of life in cancer patients. EORTC QLQ-C30 includes functional scales (physical, role, cognitive, emotional, and social) (higher score = better functioning), global health status (higher score=better functioning), symptom scales (fatigue, pain, nausea/vomiting) (higher score= worse symptoms), and other (dyspnoea, appetite loss, insomnia, constipation/diarrhea, and financial difficulties) (higher scores=worse difficulties). Most questions used 4-point scale (1 'Not at All' to 4 'Very Much'); 2 questions used 7-point scale (1 'Very Poor' to 7 'Excellent'). Scores are averaged, and transformed to 0-100 scale.
Time frame: Baseline and months 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 and 30.
European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Colorectal Cancer 29 (EORTC QLQ-CR29)
All scales and single-item measurements range from 0 to 100. A higher score for a symptom scale / item indicates a higher symptomatology and problem level.
Time frame: Baseline and months 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 and 30.
Euro Qol-5 dimensions 3 levels (EQ5D-3L)
Quality of life questionnaire that measures quality of life in 5 dimensions on a 3 part scale (1=no problems, 3=extreme problems). Min score: 11111 Max score: 33333
Time frame: Baseline and months 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 and 30.
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