Hypofractionated Radiation Therapy for Merkel Cell Carcinoma

Study Purpose

This phase II trial tests whether hypofractionated radiation works to treat patients with Merkel cell carcinoma. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Hypofractionated radiation therapy delivers higher doses of radiation therapy over a fewer number of days than tradition radiation therapy courses for Merkel cell carcinoma. This may be less suppressive of the immune response to tumors and should be helpful for patient convenience.

Recruitment Criteria

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Healthy volunteers are participants who do not have a disease or condition, or related conditions or symptoms

No
Study Type

An interventional clinical study is where participants are assigned to receive one or more interventions (or no intervention) so that researchers can evaluate the effects of the interventions on biomedical or health-related outcomes.


An observational clinical study is where participants identified as belonging to study groups are assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.


Searching Both is inclusive of interventional and observational studies.

Interventional
Eligible Ages 18 Years and Over
Gender All
More Inclusion & Exclusion Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

  • - Patients must have histologically or cytologically confirmed MCC.
  • - Patients must have no evidence of distant metastasis as determined by clinical examination and any form of imaging.
  • - If planned for adjuvant primary tumor radiation therapy a patient should have had surgical excision of a primary MCC tumor within 4 months of starting RT.
  • - If planned for adjuvant nodal radiation therapy a patient should have had: - Prior positive sentinel lymph node biopsy with any degree of nodal involvement within 4 months of starting RT and no completion nodal dissection, or.
  • - Lymph node dissection within 4 months of starting RT and high risk nodal disease (receipt of neoadjuvant immunotherapy, ECE, >1 involved node, >1 cm nodal disease).
  • - Immunotherapy is permitted at any time and may specifically be administered prior to RT, concurrent with RT or after RT.
  • - Age ≥18 years because MCC is extremely rare in patients <18 years of age and RT is considered high risk in this population due to risk of secondary malignancy and potentially growing tissues that may be adversely impacted by RT.
  • - ECOG performance status ≤3.
  • - Patients with a prior or concurrent malignancy whose natural history or treatment does not have the potential to interfere with the safety or efficacy assessment of the investigational regimen are eligible for this trial.
  • - RT is a known teratogen.
For this reason women of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation. (refer to MDA Policy CLN 1114) This includes all female patients, between the onset of menses and 55 years unless the patient presents with an applicable exclusionary factor which may be one of the following: • Postmenopausal (no menses in greater than or equal to 12 consecutive months). • History of hysterectomy or bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. • Ovarian failure (Follicle Stimulating Hormone and Estradiol in menopausal range, who have received Whole Pelvic Radiation Therapy). • History of bilateral tubal ligation or another surgical sterilization procedure. Approved methods of birth control are as follows: Hormonal contraception (i.e. birth control pills, injection, implant, transdermal patch, vaginal ring), Intrauterine device (IUD), Tubal Ligation or hysterectomy, Subject/Partner post vasectomy, Implantable or injectable contraceptives, and condoms plus spermicide. Not engaging in sexual activity for the total duration of the trial and the drug washout period is an acceptable practice; however periodic abstinence, the rhythm method, and the withdrawal method are not acceptable methods of birth control. Should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while she or her partner is participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately.
  • - Men treated or enrolled on this protocol must also agree to use adequate contraception prior to the study, for the duration of study participation, and 6 months after completion of RT.
  • - Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • - Previous radiation therapy to the site of planned primary or nodal radiation treatment such that the prior site of treatment would be encompassed by the radiation field needed to treat the current cancer.
In other words, treatment on this trial would require re-irradiation of tissues.
  • - Patients with distant metastases.
  • - Pregnant women are excluded from this study because RT is a known teratogen.
  • - Patients who are less than 18 years of age becase RT is extremely rare in this population and the treatment agent is a known carcinogen.

Trial Details

Trial ID:

This trial id was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, providing information on publicly and privately supported clinical studies of human participants with locations in all 50 States and in 196 countries.

NCT05100095
Phase

Phase 1: Studies that emphasize safety and how the drug is metabolized and excreted in humans.

Phase 2: Studies that gather preliminary data on effectiveness (whether the drug works in people who have a certain disease or condition) and additional safety data.

Phase 3: Studies that gather more information about safety and effectiveness by studying different populations and different dosages and by using the drug in combination with other drugs.

Phase 4: Studies occurring after FDA has approved a drug for marketing, efficacy, or optimal use.

Phase 2
Lead Sponsor

The sponsor is the organization or person who oversees the clinical study and is responsible for analyzing the study data.

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Principal Investigator

The person who is responsible for the scientific and technical direction of the entire clinical study.

Devarati Mitra
Principal Investigator Affiliation M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Agency Class

Category of organization(s) involved as sponsor (and collaborator) supporting the trial.

Other
Overall Status Recruiting
Countries United States
Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied.

Merkel Cell Carcinoma
Study Website: View Trial Website
Additional Details

  • - To estimate the 2-year local control rate for adjuvant hypofractionated RT to the primary tumor bed.
  • - To estimate the 2-year nodal control rate for adjuvant hypofractionated RT to the primary draining nodal basin.
Secondary Objectives.
  • - To determine MCC disease outcomes including:time to non-nodal locoregional recurrence, time to nodal recurrence, time to distant mestasis, disease-free-survival and disease-specific survival for patients receiving hypofractionated adjuvant RT.
  • - To assess acute and late RT associated toxicity within or neighboring the radiated field.

Arms & Interventions

Arms

Experimental: Radiation therapy

Patients receive radiation therapy in 10 daily fractions (M-F) over 2 weeks.

Interventions

Drug: - Radiation therapy

Hypofractionated radiation therapy to the primary tumor and/or lymph nodes

Contact a Trial Team

If you are interested in learning more about this trial, find the trial site nearest to your location and contact the site coordinator via email or phone. We also strongly recommend that you consult with your healthcare provider about the trials that may interest you and refer to our terms of service below.

M D Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas

Status

Recruiting

Address

M D Anderson Cancer Center

Houston, Texas, 77030

Site Contact

Devarati Mitra

[email protected]

713-563-1339

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