Short-Term Fasting: Impact on Toxicity

May 27, 2025 updated by: University of Southern California

Short-Term Fasting Prior To Platinum-based Chemotherapy: Feasibility and Impact on Toxicity

This partially randomized clinical trial studies short-term fasting in reducing side effects in patients receiving gemcitabine hydrochloride and cisplatin for advanced solid tumors. Short-term fasting before chemotherapy may reduce the side effects caused by chemotherapy. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as gemcitabine hydrochloride and cisplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Terminated

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

OBJECTIVES:

I. To determine the safety and feasibility of short-term fasting prior to administration of combination chemotherapy with platinum in patients with advanced solid tumor malignancies.

II. To evaluate the toxicity profile of platinum-based chemotherapy in subjects who eat normally compared to those who undertake short-term starvation.

III. To investigate changes in plasma insulin, glucose, IGF1 and IGF binding protein (IGFBP) levels, and oxidative stress markers in subjects who undertake short-term fasting compared to controls.

IV. To investigate whether changes in grp78 expression occur after fasting and after chemotherapy administration in human subjects.

OUTLINE:

STAGE I: Patients are assigned to 1 of 4 treatment groups. GROUP I: Patients fast for 24 hours on day-1.

GROUP II: Patients fast for 48 hours on days -2 and -1.

GROUP III: Patients fast for 72 hours on days -3, -2, and-1.

GROUP IV: Patients undergo a modified 48-hour fast with minimal caloric intake on days -2 and -1.

STAGE II: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms.

ARM I: Patients fast for 72 hours on days -2, and on day 1.

ARM II: Patients proceed to chemotherapy without fasting.

All patients receive gemcitabine hydrochloride intravenously (IV) on days 1 and 8 and cisplatin IV over 2 hours on day 1. Treatment repeats every 21 days for up to 4 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up periodically.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
47

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • California
      • Los Angeles, California, United States, 90033
        • USC/Norris Comprehenseive Cancer Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

19 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age > 18 years
  • Histologically confirmed malignancy for which platinum-based chemotherapy on a 21 day cycle or 14 day cycle is being recommended.

  • Disease state:

    • Stage I of the trial: newly diagnosed disease for which neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy is planned in the curative setting, or metastatic disease.
    • Stage II of the trial: Measurable disease by RECIST criteria must be present for all subjects in the randomized component of the trial- if surgery or radiation is planned, the target lesions may not be so treated until after the assessment of the effect of chemotherapy.

  • Prior chemotherapy

    • Stage I: subjects may have already received no more than 2 cycle of platinum-based chemotherapy, but should not have received other prior chemotherapy regimens with the exception of patients with metastatic disease who received neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy and that chemotherapy was completed > 6 months prior to enrollment.
    • Stage II: subjects must have received no prior chemotherapy regimens for metastatic disease, and no more than 2 cycles of their current platinum chemotherapy regimen for metastatic disease. They may have received prior neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy, provided such therapy was completed >6 months prior to enrollment.
  • Prior Radiotherapy is allowed, provided at least 2 weeks have elapsed from completion of radiotherapy to initiation of protocol treatment.
  • BMI > 18.5
  • ECOG performance status 0-1
  • Adequate renal function (Creatinine <1.25 ULIN or calculated creatinine clearance > 50 ml/min)
  • Premenopausal women must have a negative pregnancy test and must agree to use barrier contraception throughout the study period.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Diabetes Mellitus
  • Recent significant or unexplained weight loss that the investigator feels may pose an unacceptable risk for enrollment. Candidates who are overweight and have lost weight intentionally via diet or exercise should not be excluded.
  • Peripheral Neuropathy > grade 1
  • History of significant cardiac disease, particularly uncompensated congestive heart failure NYHA grade 2 or more or LVEF < 40% on any prior assessment. (Assessment of LVEF prior to therapy is not required in the absence of other clinical indicators of heart disease). Patients with a prior LVEF <40% will require re-evaluation prior to study entry.
  • Subjects on medications that may not be safely stopped during the fasting portion of the study, or which may not be safely consumed without food.
  • A history of syncope with calorie restriction in the past or other medical comorbidity, which would make fasting potentially dangerous.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Group I (Stage I of study)
Patients fast for 24 hours on day -1
Other: Short-term fasting
No calories will be consumed during periods of fasting. Good oral hydration will be encouraged. Water may be consumed, as well as non-caloric beverages (i.e. zero calorie soft drinks, black coffee or tea).
Other Names:
  • fasting
Other: Fasting
Day -1
Other: Fasting
Days -2 and -1
Other: Fasting
Days -3, -2, and -1
Other: Fasting
48-hour fast with minimal caloric intake on days -2 and -1
Experimental: Group II (Stage I of study)
Patients fast for 48 hours on days -2 and -1
Other: Short-term fasting
No calories will be consumed during periods of fasting. Good oral hydration will be encouraged. Water may be consumed, as well as non-caloric beverages (i.e. zero calorie soft drinks, black coffee or tea).
Other Names:
  • fasting
Other: Fasting
Day -1
Other: Fasting
Days -2 and -1
Other: Fasting
Days -3, -2, and -1
Other: Fasting
48-hour fast with minimal caloric intake on days -2 and -1
Experimental: Group III (Stage I of study)
Patients fast for 72 hours on days -3, -2, and -1
Other: Short-term fasting
No calories will be consumed during periods of fasting. Good oral hydration will be encouraged. Water may be consumed, as well as non-caloric beverages (i.e. zero calorie soft drinks, black coffee or tea).
Other Names:
  • fasting
Other: Fasting
Day -1
Other: Fasting
Days -2 and -1
Other: Fasting
Days -3, -2, and -1
Other: Fasting
48-hour fast with minimal caloric intake on days -2 and -1
Experimental: Group IV (Stage I of study)
Patients undergo a modified 48-hour fast with minimal caloric intake on day -2 and -1
Other: Fasting
Day -1
Other: Fasting
Days -2 and -1
Other: Fasting
Days -3, -2, and -1
Other: Fasting
48-hour fast with minimal caloric intake on days -2 and -1
Other: Modified fast
Minimal caloric intake on days -2 and -1
Other Names:
  • fasting

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Identification of the longest duration of fasting which is safe
Time Frame: Up to 5 years
Up to 5 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Significant toxicity as assessed by CTCAE v3.0
Time Frame: Up to 5 years
Up to 5 years
Changes in plasma insulin, glucose, IGF1 and IGF binding protein (IGFBP) levels, and GRP78 expression in WBCs
Time Frame: Up to 2 courses
Up to 2 courses
Changes in grp78 expression after fasting and after chemotherapy administration
Time Frame: After 2 courses
After 2 courses

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Southern California

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: David I Quinn, MD, University of Southern California

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
July 9, 2009

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
September 1, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 23, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
July 9, 2009

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 9, 2009

First Posted (Estimated)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 10, 2009

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 2, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 27, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 0S-08-9

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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