Methotrexate and Glucocorticoids in Treating Patients With Newly Diagnosed Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease After Donor Stem Cell Transplant

September 10, 2010 updated by: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

A Phase II Study to Evaluate Efficacy and Tolerability of Methotrexate in Combination With Glucocorticoids for the Treatment of Newly Diagnosed Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease After Nonmyeloablative Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

RATIONALE: Methotrexate and glucocorticoid therapy, such as prednisone or methylprednisolone, may be an effective treatment for acute graft-versus-host disease caused by a donor stem cell transplant.

PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving methotrexate together with glucocorticoids works in treating patients with newly diagnosed acute graft-versus-host disease after donor stem cell transplant.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

OBJECTIVES:

  • Determine, within the limits of a phase II study, whether low-dose methotrexate can accelerate withdrawal of glucocorticoids and decrease nonrelapsing mortality in patients with newly diagnosed acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) who have undergone nonmyeloablative allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).
  • Determine the tolerability of low-dose methotrexate and glucocorticoids in treating newly diagnosed acute GVHD in these patients.

OUTLINE: This is a cohort study. Patients receive concurrent low-dose methotrexate and a glucocorticoid for treatment of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).

Patients receive the first dose of methotrexate IV ≥ 12 hours before initiation of glucocorticoid treatment (if glucocorticoid treatment has not been initiated) and the second dose 72 hours after dose 1. Patients then receive subsequent doses of methotrexate IV or orally once weekly for up to 1 year* until resolution of GVHD in the absence of recurrent malignancy, refractory or chronic GVHD, administration of secondary treatment for GVHD, or unacceptable toxicity.

NOTE: *Treatment with low-dose MTX may continue beyond 1 year at the discretion of the managing physician.

Patients receive glucocorticoid therapy comprising prednisone or methylprednisolone IV twice daily until objective evidence of improvement in GVHD manifestation. Patients with resolved or significantly improved GVHD receive treatment for 10 days followed by an accelerated taper for a total of 72 days of treatment in case of no flare up of GVHD during the glucocorticoid taper. Patients with exacerbation or recurrence of GVHD during the accelerated taper are treated for ≥ 1 week before resuming a less rapid taper. Patients who develop GVHD progression or primary refractory GVHD may receive secondary systemic therapy at the discretion of the managing physician.

After completion of study treatment, patients are followed at 1 year and then annually thereafter.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 53 patients will be accrued for this study.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Anticipated)

53

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

  • United States
    • Washington
      • Seattle, Washington, United States, 98109-1024
        • Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research 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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

  • Newly diagnosed acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)
  • Has undergone nonmyeloablative allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) from an HLA-matched related or unrelated donor ≥ 14 days ago

  • Treatment of GVHD with glucocorticoids indicated by 1 of the following criteria:

    • Initial treatment with prednisone or methylprednisolone at 2 mg/kg indicated (in the judgement of attending physician) by any of the following:

      • Severity of GVHD requires hospitalization
      • GVHD manifestations include symptoms other than anorexia, nausea, and vomiting
      • GVHD begins within 2-3 weeks after HSCT
      • GVHD manifestations progress rapidly from 1 day to the next before treatment
    • Initial treatment with prednisone or methylprednisolone at 1 mg/kg did not produce adequate clinical improvement within the first 4 days (in the judgement of attending physician)

  • No pleural effusion or ascites (i.e., free-flowing fluid by lateral decubitus views)

    • Mere blunting of costo-phrenic angles on a posterior anterior chest x-ray is not sufficient
  • No GVHD after donor lymphocyte infusion
  • No hallmarks of chronic GVHD
  • No bronchiolitis obliterans

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

  • Not pregnant or nursing
  • Negative pregnancy test
  • Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 12 months after completion of study treatment
  • No severe mucositis (grade 3 or 4) indicated by erythema, edema, or ulcerations requiring hydration, parenteral nutritional support, or intubation or resulting in aspiration pneumonia
  • Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm^3
  • Bilirubin ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (unless abnormality attributable to GVHD)
  • AST and ALT ≤ 2 times ULN (unless abnormality attributable to GVHD)
  • Creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

  • See Disease Characteristics
  • No prior prednisone or methylprednisolone at 2 mg/kg for > 72 hours or at 1 mg/kg for > 96 hours
  • Concurrent topical therapy, including psoralen and ultraviolet A irradiation (PUVA), glucocorticoid creams, oral beclomethasone dipropionate, topical azathioprine, or ophthalmic glucocorticoids allowed
  • No other concurrent treatment for GVHD

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

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Proportion of patients treated with a methylprednisolone-equivalent glucocorticoid dose ≤ 0.75 mg/kg on day 28 after initiation of systemic glucocorticoid therapy for acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Nonrelapsing mortality at 1 year
Proportion of patients in whom methotrexate (MTX) had to be discontinued because of toxicity
Incidence of severe acute GVHD (grades III or IV)
Incidence of extensive chronic GVHD
Incidence of secondary systemic immunosuppressive therapy
Cumulative corticosteroid use over 1 year
Incidence of invasive mold infections
Incidence of recurrent/progressive malignancy
Cumulative dose of methylprednisolone-equivalent treatment during the first 8 weeks after enrollment in patients who survive to day 56

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

Collaborators

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Investigators

  • Study Chair: Marco B. Mielcarek, MD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

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

May 1, 2006

Primary Completion (Actual)

August 1, 2007

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

July 26, 2006

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 26, 2006

First Posted (Estimate)

July 27, 2006

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

September 14, 2010

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 10, 2010

Last Verified

September 1, 2010

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 1978.00
  • FHCRC-1978.00
  • CDR0000488486 (Registry Identifier: PDQ)

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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