Fluorouracil, Gemcitabine, and Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Cancer of the Pancreas

November 18, 2013 updated by: Radiation Therapy Oncology Group

A Phase III Study of Pre and Post Chemoradiation 5-FU vs. Pre and Post Chemoradiation Gemcitabine for Postoperative Adjuvant Treatment of Resected Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Combining radiation therapy with chemotherapy may kill more tumor cells. It is not yet known which treatment regimen is most effective for pancreatic cancer.

PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of fluorouracil and gemcitabine plus radiation therapy in treating patients with cancer of the pancreas who have undergone surgery.

Study Overview

Detailed Description

OBJECTIVES:

  • Compare the overall and disease-free survival of patients with resected adenocarcinoma of the pancreas treated with adjuvant fluorouracil-based chemoradiotherapy preceded and followed by fluorouracil vs gemcitabine.
  • Compare the local-regional and distant disease control in patients treated with these regimens.
  • Compare the acute and late toxic effects of these regimens in these patients.

OUTLINE: This is a randomized, multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to nodal involvement (yes vs no), tumor diameter (less than 3 cm vs 3 cm or greater), and surgical margins (negative vs positive vs unknown). Patients are randomized to one of two treatment arms.

  • Arm I: Beginning 3-8 weeks after definitive surgical resection, patients receive fluorouracil IV continuously for 3 weeks. Beginning 1-2 weeks later, patients receive fluorouracil IV continuously concurrently with radiotherapy 5 days a week for 5.5 weeks. Beginning 3-5 weeks after completion of chemoradiotherapy, patients receive fluorouracil IV continuously for 4 weeks every 6 weeks for 2 courses.
  • Arm II: Beginning 3-8 weeks after definitive surgical resection, patients receive gemcitabine IV once weekly for 3 weeks. Beginning 1-2 weeks later, patients receive chemoradiotherapy as in arm I. Beginning 3-5 weeks after completion of chemoradiotherapy, patients receive gemcitabine IV once weekly for 3 weeks every 4 weeks for 3 courses.

Patients are followed every 3 months for 1 year, every 6 months for 2 years, and then annually thereafter.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 518 patients will be accrued for this study within 8.6 years.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Anticipated)

518

Phase

  • Phase 3

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

    • British Columbia
      • Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V5Z 4E6
        • British Columbia Cancer Agency
    • Alabama
      • Birmingham, Alabama, United States, 35294-3300
        • University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center
      • Mobile, Alabama, United States, 36688
        • MBCCOP - Gulf Coast
    • Arizona
      • Phoenix, Arizona, United States, 85006-2726
        • CCOP - Greater Phoenix
      • Phoenix, Arizona, United States, 85012
        • Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Phoenix (Carl T. Hayden)
      • Tucson, Arizona, United States, 85724
        • Arizona Cancer Center
      • Tucson, Arizona, United States, 85723
        • Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Tucson
    • Arkansas
      • Little Rock, Arkansas, United States, 72205
        • University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
      • Little Rock, Arkansas, United States, 72205
        • Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Little Rock (McClellan)
    • California
      • Duarte, California, United States, 91010
        • City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center
      • Los Angeles, California, United States, 90095-1781
        • Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCLA
      • Los Angeles, California, United States, 90033-0804
        • USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Hospital
      • Los Angeles, California, United States, 90073
        • Veterans Affairs Medical Center - West Los Angeles
      • Martinez, California, United States, 94553
        • Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic - Martinez
      • Oakland, California, United States, 94609-3305
        • CCOP - Bay Area Tumor Institute
      • Orange, California, United States, 92868
        • Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
      • Sacramento, California, United States, 95817
        • University of California Davis Medical Center
      • San Francisco, California, United States, 94121
        • Veterans Affairs Medical Center - San Francisco
      • Santa Rosa, California, United States, 95403
        • CCOP - Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital
      • Travis Air Force Base, California, United States, 94535
        • David Grant Medical Center
    • Colorado
      • Denver, Colorado, United States, 80220
        • Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Denver
      • Denver, Colorado, United States, 80010
        • University of Colorado Cancer Center
    • District of Columbia
      • Washington, District of Columbia, United States, 20060
        • MBCCOP - Howard University Cancer Center
    • Florida
      • Jacksonville, Florida, United States, 32224
        • Mayo Clinic
    • Georgia
      • Atlanta, Georgia, United States, 30342-1701
        • CCOP - Atlanta Regional
      • Fort Gordon, Georgia, United States, 30905-5650
        • Dwight David Eisenhower Army Medical Center
    • Hawaii
      • Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, 96859-5000
        • Tripler Army Medical Center
      • Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, 96813-2424
        • Cancer Research Center of Hawaii
    • Illinois
      • Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60612-7323
        • MBCCOP - University of Illinois at Chicago
      • Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60612
        • Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Chicago (Westside Hospital)
      • Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60611-3013
        • Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University
      • Decatur, Illinois, United States, 62526
        • CCOP - Central Illinois
      • Hines, Illinois, United States, 60141
        • Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Hines (Hines Junior VA Hospital)
      • Maywood, Illinois, United States, 60153-5500
        • Loyola University Medical Center
    • Kansas
      • Kansas City, Kansas, United States, 66160-7353
        • University of Kansas Medical Center
      • Wichita, Kansas, United States, 67214-3882
        • CCOP - Wichita
      • Wichita, Kansas, United States, 67218
        • Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Wichita
    • Kentucky
      • Lexington, Kentucky, United States, 40536-0084
        • Albert B. Chandler Medical Center, University of Kentucky
      • Lexington, Kentucky, United States, 40502-2236
        • Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Lexington
    • Louisiana
      • New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, 70112
        • Tulane University School of Medicine
      • New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, 70112
        • MBCCOP - LSU Medical Center
      • New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, 70112
        • Veterans Affairs Medical Center - New Orleans
      • Shreveport, Louisiana, United States, 71130-3932
        • Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center - Shreveport
      • Shreveport, Louisiana, United States, 71130
        • Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Shreveport
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02118
        • Boston Medical Center
      • Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, United States, 02130
        • Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Boston (Jamaica Plain)
    • Michigan
      • Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States, 48105
        • Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Ann Arbor
      • Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States, 48106
        • CCOP - Ann Arbor Regional
      • Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States, 48109-0912
        • University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center
      • Detroit, Michigan, United States, 48202
        • Henry Ford Hospital
      • Detroit, Michigan, United States, 48201-1379
        • Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute
      • Detroit, Michigan, United States, 48201-1932
        • Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Detroit
      • Royal Oak, Michigan, United States, 48073-6769
        • CCOP - Beaumont
      • Southfield, Michigan, United States, 48075-9975
        • Providence Hospital - Southfield
    • Minnesota
      • Duluth, Minnesota, United States, 55805
        • CCOP - Duluth
    • Mississippi
      • Biloxi, Mississippi, United States, 39531-2410
        • Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Biloxi
      • Jackson, Mississippi, United States, 39216-4505
        • University of Mississippi Medical Center
      • Jackson, Mississippi, United States, 39216
        • Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Jackson
      • Keesler AFB, Mississippi, United States, 39534-2576
        • Keesler Medical Center - Keesler AFB
    • Missouri
      • Kansas City, Missouri, United States, 64128
        • Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Kansas City
      • Kansas City, Missouri, United States, 64131
        • CCOP - Kansas City
      • Saint Louis, Missouri, United States, 63141
        • CCOP - St. Louis-Cape Girardeau
      • Saint Louis, Missouri, United States, 63110
        • St. Louis University Health Sciences Center
      • Springfield, Missouri, United States, 65807
        • CCOP - Cancer Research for the Ozarks
    • Montana
      • Billings, Montana, United States, 59101
        • CCOP - Montana Cancer Consortium
    • New Mexico
      • Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States, 87108-5138
        • Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Albuquerque
      • Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States, 87131
        • MBCCOP - University of New Mexico HSC
    • New York
      • Albany, New York, United States, 12208
        • Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Albany
      • Buffalo, New York, United States, 14220
        • Western New York Urology Associates
      • New York, New York, United States, 10011
        • St. Vincents Comprehensive Cancer Center
      • New York, New York, United States, 10032
        • Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center
      • Rochester, New York, United States, 14642
        • University of Rochester Medical Center
    • North Carolina
      • Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States, 27104-4241
        • CCOP - Southeast Cancer Control Consortium
    • Ohio
      • Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, 45220-2288
        • Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Cincinnati
      • Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, 45267-0501
        • Barrett Cancer Center
      • Cleveland, Ohio, United States, 44195-9001
        • Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center
      • Columbus, Ohio, United States, 43210-1240
        • Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital - Ohio State University
      • Columbus, Ohio, United States, 43206
        • CCOP - Columbus
      • Dayton, Ohio, United States, 45428
        • Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Dayton
      • Kettering, Ohio, United States, 45429
        • CCOP - Dayton
    • Oklahoma
      • Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, 73104
        • Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
      • Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, 73104
        • Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Oklahoma City
    • Oregon
      • Portland, Oregon, United States, 97207
        • Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Portland
      • Portland, Oregon, United States, 97225
        • CCOP - Columbia River Program
      • Portland, Oregon, United States, 97239
        • Oregon Cancer Institute
    • South Carolina
      • Charleston, South Carolina, United States, 29425-0721
        • Medical University of South Carolina
      • Charleston, South Carolina, United States, 29401-5799
        • Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Charleston
      • Greenville, South Carolina, United States, 29615
        • CCOP - Greenville
      • Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States, 29303
        • CCOP - Upstate Carolina
    • Texas
      • Fort Sam Houston, Texas, United States, 78234-6200
        • Brooke Army Medical Center
      • Galveston, Texas, United States, 77555-0565
        • University of Texas Medical Branch
      • Houston, Texas, United States, 77030
        • Baylor College of Medicine
      • Houston, Texas, United States, 77030
        • Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Houston
      • Houston, Texas, United States, 77030-4095
        • University of Texas - MD Anderson Cancer Center
      • Lubbock, Texas, United States, 79415
        • Texas Tech University Health Science Center
      • San Antonio, Texas, United States, 78284
        • Veterans Affairs Medical Center - San Antonio (Murphy)
      • San Antonio, Texas, United States, 78284-7845
        • University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
      • Temple, Texas, United States, 76504
        • Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Temple
      • Temple, Texas, United States, 76508
        • CCOP - Scott and White Hospital
    • Utah
      • Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, 84148
        • Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Salt Lake City
      • Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, 84112-5550
        • Huntsman Cancer Institute
    • Virginia
      • Norfolk, Virginia, United States, 23510-1115
        • Eastern Virginia Medical School
    • Washington
      • Seattle, Washington, United States, 98101
        • CCOP - Virginia Mason Research Center
      • Seattle, Washington, United States, 98104
        • Swedish Cancer Institute
      • Seattle, Washington, United States, 98108
        • Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Seattle
      • Tacoma, Washington, United States, 98431-5000
        • Madigan Army Medical Center
      • Tacoma, Washington, United States, 98405-0986
        • CCOP - Northwest

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

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

  • Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the pancreas

    • Stage T1-4, N0-1 (stage I-IVA)
    • No M1 or NX staging
    • Primary tumor of the pancreas (pancreatic head, neck, uncinate process, or body/tail) and maximum diameter/dimension and tumor status at surgical margin known
  • Prior potentially curative gross resection within 3-8 weeks before study
  • No non-adenocarcinomas, adenosquamous carcinomas, islet cell carcinomas, cystadenomas, cystadenocarcinomas, carcinoid tumors, duodenal carcinomas, distal bile duct carcinoma, or ampullary carcinoma
  • No recurrent disease
  • Post-resection CA-19-9 level required

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

  • 18 and over

Performance status:

  • Karnofsky 60-100%

Life expectancy:

  • Not specified

Hematopoietic:

  • WBC at least 3,000/mm^3
  • Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

  • Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
  • SGOT no greater than 5 times ULN

Renal:

  • Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN

Other:

  • No significant nausea or vomiting
  • No prior malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanomatous skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
  • Able to maintain adequate nutrition (at least 1,500 calories/day)

    • Feeding tube allowed
  • Not pregnant
  • Negative pregnancy test
  • Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

  • Not specified

Chemotherapy:

  • No prior chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

  • Not specified

Radiotherapy:

  • No prior radiotherapy

Surgery:

  • See Disease Characteristics

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: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Investigators

  • Study Chair: William F. Regine, MD, Lucille P. Markey Cancer Center at University of Kentucky

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

July 1, 1998

Primary Completion (Actual)

October 1, 2005

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

November 1, 1999

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 26, 2003

First Posted (Estimate)

January 27, 2003

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

November 19, 2013

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 18, 2013

Last Verified

November 1, 2013

More Information

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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