Phase II Study of Fludarabine and Mitoxantrone, Followed by GM-CSF(Granulocyte-macrophage Colony-stimulating Factor) and Rituximab

May 25, 2012 updated by: Christopher R. Flowers, Emory University

Phase II Study of Fludarabine and Mitoxantrone, Followed by GM-CSF(Granulocyte-macrophage Colony-stimulating Factor) and Rituximab in Patients With Low Grade Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma: An Analysis of Efficacy and Tolerability

Patients with a low-grade, or indolent (slow-growing) form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) in which the usual survival is between 7-10 years are being asked to take part in this study. Although normally-used combinations of chemotherapy will cause NHL to disappear in 30-40% of patients (called complete response or complete remission), almost all will have their disease return.

In this study, researchers tested a combination of anti-cancer agents, fludarabine, rituximab and GM-CSF with mitoxantrone or cyclophosphamide to see if a better and more long-lasting response can be achieved. All of the medications are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are available on the market. The agents we will use are:

  • Mitoxantrone and fludarabine and cyclophosphamide and fludarabine are combinations of chemotherapy drugs that have been successfully used to treat NHL/CLL (Chronic lymphocytic leukemia) that has returned after treatment and are comparable options for treatment.
  • Rituximab, a monoclonal antibody that kills cancer cells by binding the CD20 antigen found on the surface of B-cells, commonly used along with chemotherapy drugs to improve response rates in lymphoma treatment.
  • GM-CSF (granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor, also called sargramostim, GM, or Leukine), a growth factor which stimulates the development of new ("stem") cells. GM-CSF encourages stem cells to divide, specialize, and become active. It is not a normal part of treatment for NHL.

Using GM-CSF in NHL treatment is the experimental part of this study. The main purpose of this study is to see if giving GM-CSF along with a standard anti-cancer treatment will work better to reduce cancer, and to look at side effects of the treatment.

Study Overview

Status

Terminated

Conditions

Detailed Description

Patients with a low-grade, or indolent (slow-growing) form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) in which the usual survival is between 7-10 years are being asked to take part in this study. Although normally-used combinations of chemotherapy will cause NHL to disappear in 30-40% of patients (called complete response or complete remission), almost all will have their disease return.

When NHL is diagnosed, an abundance of white blood cells called B-lymphocytes (or B-cells) are found in the body. Almost all B-cells have a special protein on the surface called a CD20 antigen. Some anti-cancer drugs, called monoclonal antibodies, target cancer cells by binding, or "locking up", specific antigens found on their surfaces, which kills the cancer cells.

In this study, researchers will test a combination of anti-cancer agents to see if a better and more long-lasting response can be achieved. All of the medications are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are available on the market. The agents we will use are:

-Mitoxantrone and fludarabine, a combination of chemotherapy drugs that has been successfully used to treat NHL that has returned after treatment.

OR

  • Cyclophosphamide and fludarabine, a combination of chemotherapy drugs that has been successfully used to treat NHL that has returned after treatment.
  • Rituximab, a monoclonal antibody that kills cancer cells by binding the CD20 antigen found on the surface of B-cells, commonly used along with chemotherapy drugs to improve response rates in lymphoma treatment.
  • GM-CSF (granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor, also called sargramostim, GM, or Leukine), a growth factor which stimulates the development of new (stem) cells. GM-CSF encourages stem cells to divide, specialize, and become active. It is not a normal part of treatment for NHL.

Using GM-CSF in NHL treatment is the experimental part of this study. In studies done in the laboratory, GM-CSF caused an increase in the number of antigens, such as CD20, on the surface of B-cells. If more antigens are present, it may be easier to target cells that express CD20 or other antigens. Monoclonal antibodies (such as rituximab) might then be able to more effectively bind the antigens and kill the cancer cells.

The main purpose of this study is to see if giving GM-CSF along with a standard anti-cancer treatment will work better to reduce cancer, and to look at side effects of the treatment.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

15

Phase

  • Phase 2

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

    • Georgia
      • Atlanta, Georgia, United States, 30322
        • Emory University Winship Cancer Institute

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

Inclusion Criteria:

  • To qualify for this study, the patient must have relapsed, refractory or previously untreated low-grade (indolent) non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the following subtypes: Follicular center cell lymphoma grade 1, lymphoplasmacytoid lymphoma, small lymphocytic lymphoma, splenic marginal-zone types lymphoma, monocytoid B-cell lymphoma and extranodal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphomas. Final eligibility will be determined by the health professionals conducting this clinical trial.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients who have received prior treatment with purine analogs will be excluded from this study. Also, patients whose diagnostic/histologic subtype cannot be confirmed by our institution will not be able to participate in this study. Final eligibility will be determined by the health professionals conducting this clinical trial.

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: NA
  • Interventional Model: SINGLE_GROUP
  • Masking: NONE

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Fludarabine and Mitoxantrome followed by GM-CSF and Rituximab

Initial patients (n=9) received fludarabine (25 mg/m2 IV) and mitoxantrone (10 mg/m2 IV)with sequential administration of GM-CSF (500 mcg subcutaneously) on days 6 and 7 and rituximab (375 mg/m2) on day 8.

After a change in the protocol, all additional patients (n=6) received fludarabine (25 mg/m2 IV) and cyclophosphamide (250 mg/m2 IV)with sequential administration of GM-CSF (500 mcg subcutaneously) on days 6 and 7 and rituximab (375 mg/m2) on day 8. All patients received dditional doses of GM-CSF (days +8 through +14) were given for patients to reduce variability in neutropenic management.

Initial patients (n=9) received fludarabine (25 mg/m^2 intravenously) and mitoxantrone (10 mg/m^2 intravenously)with sequential administration of GM-CSF(Granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor) (500 µcg subcutaneously) on days 6 and 7 and rituximab (375 mg/m^2) on day 8.

After a change in the protocol, all additional patients (n=6) received fludarabine (25 mg/m^2 intravenously) and cyclophosphamide (250 mg/m^2 intravenously)with sequential administration of GM-CSF (500 µcg subcutaneously) on days 6 and 7 and rituximab (375 mg/m^2) on day 8. All patients received additional doses of GM-CSF (days +8 through +14) were given for patients to reduce variability in neutropenic management.

Other Names:
  • Fludara, Sargramostim, Leukine, Rituxan

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Number of Patients's Who Had Complete Response and Partial Response to the Treatment of Fludarabine and Cyclophosphamide Followed by GM-CSF and Rituximab.
Time Frame: 6 months

Complete Response (CR): Disappearance of all clinical evidence of active tumor for a minimum of eight weeks and absence of any symptoms related to the tumor.

Partial Response (PR):50% decrease in the sum of the product diameters of all lesions that persist for at least four weeks. No lesion can increase in size and no new lesion can appear during this period.

Stable disease (SD):A tumor that is neither growing nor shrinking.No new tumors have developed

6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Collaborators

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Christopher Flowers, MD, Emory University Winship Cancer Institute

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.

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, 2002

Primary Completion (Actual)

December 1, 2009

Study Completion (Actual)

September 1, 2011

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 13, 2005

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 13, 2005

First Posted (Estimate)

September 21, 2005

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

June 28, 2012

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 25, 2012

Last Verified

May 1, 2012

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.

Clinical Trials on Lymphoma

Clinical Trials on Mitoxantrone/Cyclophosphamide, Fludarabine, Rituximab and GM-CSF

Subscribe