Fluorouracil, Semustine, and Vincristine Compared With BCG in Treating Patients With Dukes' B or Dukes' C Colon Cancer That Has Been Removed By Surgery

A Clinical Trial to Evaluate Postoperative Immunotherapy and Postoperative Systemic Chemotherapy in the Management of Resectable Colon Cancer

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as vincristine, fluorouracil, and semustine, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Biological therapies, such as BCG, may stimulate the immune system in different ways and stop tumor cells from growing. It is not yet known whether combination chemotherapy is more effective than BCG in treating colon cancer that has been removed by surgery.

PURPOSE: This randomized phase III clinical trial is studying giving fluorouracil together with semustine and vincristine to see how well they work compared with giving BCG in treating patients with Dukes' B or Dukes' C colon cancer that has been removed by surgery.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Colorectal Cancer
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: fluorouracil; Drug: vincristine sulfate; Biological: BCG vaccine; Biological: biological therapy; Drug: semustine

Detailed Description

OBJECTIVES: I. Obtain information to define subsets of colon cancer patients at high risk of recurrence. II. Correlate pathologic and biologic parameters with disease-free interval and survival. III. Determine the value of surgical and ancillary techniques in management of colon cancer. IV. Compare disease-free interval and survival after curative resection vs. chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil/methyl-CCNU/vincristine vs. BCG immunotherapy. V. Relate the total lymphocyte count to the course of the disease. VI. Determine the feasibility of conducting a trial employing immunotherapy in a surgical adjuvant setting. VII. Identify appropriate future protocols based on data generated in the study.

OUTLINE: Randomized study for patients with Dukes Stage B and C disease only. All patients with Dukes A and D lesions enter Arm I. Arm I: No therapy following surgery. Arm II: 3-Drug Combination Chemotherapy. 5-Fluorouracil, 5-FU, NSC-19893; Methyl-CCNU, MeCCNU, NSC-95441; Vincristine, VCR, NSC-67574. Arm III: Immunotherapy. BCG-Pasteur, BCG, NSC-B116328.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: Protocol closed February 1984.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Phase: Phase 3

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: No older than 79 years (Child, Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: See General Eligibility Criteria

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: See General Eligibility Criteria

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: NSABP Foundation Inc
• Collaborators: National Cancer Institute (NCI)
• Investigators: Study Chair: Norman Wolmark, MD, Allegheny Cancer Center at Allegheny General Hospital

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Wilkinson NW, Yothers G, Lopa SH, et al.: Long-term survival results of surgery alone compared with surgery plus 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin for stage II and stage III colon cancer: pooled analysis of NSABP adjuvant trials C-01 through C-05. [Abstract] American Society of Clinical Oncology 2009 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, 15-17 January 2009, San Francisco, CA. A-442, 2009.
• Kim GP, Colangelo LH, Wieand HS, Paik S, Kirsch IR, Wolmark N, Allegra CJ; National Cancer Institute. Prognostic and predictive roles of high-degree microsatellite instability in colon cancer: a National Cancer Institute-National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project Collaborative Study. J Clin Oncol. 2007 Mar 1;25(7):767-72. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2006.05.8172. Epub 2007 Jan 16.
• Allegra CJ, Paik S, Colangelo LH, Parr AL, Kirsch I, Kim G, Klein P, Johnston PG, Wolmark N, Wieand HS. Prognostic value of thymidylate synthase, Ki-67, and p53 in patients with Dukes' B and C colon cancer: a National Cancer Institute-National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project collaborative study. J Clin Oncol. 2003 Jan 15;21(2):241-50. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2003.05.044.
• Wolmark N, Colangelo L, Wieand S. National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project trials in colon cancer. Semin Oncol. 2001 Feb;28(1 Suppl 1):9-13. doi: 10.1016/s0093-7754(01)90245-3.
• Dignam JJ, Colangelo L, Tian W, Jones J, Smith R, Wickerham DL, Wolmark N. Outcomes among African-Americans and Caucasians in colon cancer adjuvant therapy trials: findings from the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1999 Nov 17;91(22):1933-40. doi: 10.1093/jnci/91.22.1933.
• Mamounas E, Wieand S, Wolmark N, Bear HD, Atkins JN, Song K, Jones J, Rockette H. Comparative efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with Dukes' B versus Dukes' C colon cancer: results from four National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project adjuvant studies (C-01, C-02, C-03, and C-04). J Clin Oncol. 1999 May;17(5):1349-55. doi: 10.1200/JCO.1999.17.5.1349.
• O'Connell MJ, Lavery I, Yothers G, Paik S, Clark-Langone KM, Lopatin M, Watson D, Baehner FL, Shak S, Baker J, Cowens JW, Wolmark N. Relationship between tumor gene expression and recurrence in four independent studies of patients with stage II/III colon cancer treated with surgery alone or surgery plus adjuvant fluorouracil plus leucovorin. J Clin Oncol. 2010 Sep 1;28(25):3937-44. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2010.28.9538. Epub 2010 Aug 2.
• Wilkinson NW, Yothers G, Lopa S, Costantino JP, Petrelli NJ, Wolmark N. Long-term survival results of surgery alone versus surgery plus 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin for stage II and stage III colon cancer: pooled analysis of NSABP C-01 through C-05. A baseline from which to compare modern adjuvant trials. Ann Surg Oncol. 2010 Apr;17(4):959-66. doi: 10.1245/s10434-009-0881-y.
• Fisher ER, Colangelo L, Wieand S, Fisher B, Wolmark N. Lack of influence of cytokeratin-positive mini micrometastases in "Negative Node" patients with colorectal cancer: findings from the national surgical adjuvant breast and bowel projects protocols R-01 and C-01. Dis Colon Rectum. 2003 Aug;46(8):1021-5; discussion 1025-6. doi: 10.1007/s10350-004-7275-9.
• Wolmark N, Fisher B, Wieand HS, Henry RS, Lerner H, Legault-Poisson S, Deckers PJ, Dimitrov N, Gordon PH, Jochimsen P, et al. The prognostic significance of preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen levels in colorectal cancer. Results from NSABP (National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project) clinical trials. Ann Surg. 1984 Apr;199(4):375-82. doi: 10.1097/00000658-198404000-00001.
• Wolmark N, Fisher ER, Wieand HS, Fisher B. The relationship of depth of penetration and tumor size to the number of positive nodes in Dukes C colorectal cancer. Cancer. 1984 Jun 15;53(12):2707-12. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19840615)53:123.0.co;2-r.
• Wolmark N, Cruz I, Redmond CK, Fisher B, Fisher ER. Tumor size and regional lymph node metastasis in colorectal cancer. A preliminary analysis from the NSABP clinical trials. Cancer. 1983 Apr 1;51(7):1315-22. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19830401)51:73.0.co;2-0.
• Wolmark N, Wieand HS, Rockette HE, Fisher B, Glass A, Lawrence W, Lerner H, Cruz AB, Volk H, Shibata H, et al. The prognostic significance of tumor location and bowel obstruction in Dukes B and C colorectal cancer. Findings from the NSABP clinical trials. Ann Surg. 1983 Dec;198(6):743-52. doi: 10.1097/00000658-198312000-00013.
• Smith RE, Colangelo L, Wieand HS, Begovic M, Wolmark N. Randomized trial of adjuvant therapy in colon carcinoma: 10-year results of NSABP protocol C-01. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2004 Aug 4;96(15):1128-32. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djh220.
• Wolmark N, Fisher B, Rockette H, Redmond C, Wickerham DL, Fisher ER, Jones J, Glass A, Lerner H, Lawrence W, et al. Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy or BCG for colon cancer: results from NSABP protocol C-01. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1988 Mar 2;80(1):30-6. doi: 10.1093/jnci/80.1.30.
• Wolmark N, Fisher B, Rockette H, et al.: Adjuvant therapy in carcinoma of the colon: five year results of NSABP protocol C-01. [Abstract] Proceedings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology 6: A-358, 92, 1987.
• Weese JL, Starling JR, Ottery FD, et al.: Should omentectomy be part of colectomy for colon cancer? [Abstract] Proceedings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology 4: C-358, 92, 1985.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: September 1, 1977
• Study Completion (Actual): May 1, 2006

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 18, 2007
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 18, 2007
• First Posted (Estimate): January 29, 2007

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): June 24, 2013
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 21, 2013
• Last Verified: August 1, 2010

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: stage III colon cancer; stage II colon cancer
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Digestive System Diseases; Neoplasms; Neoplasms by Site; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms; Digestive System Neoplasms; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Colonic Diseases; Intestinal Diseases; Intestinal Neoplasms; Colorectal Neoplasms; Colonic Neoplasms; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; Antimetabolites; Antineoplastic Agents; Immunosuppressive Agents; Immunologic Factors; Tubulin Modulators; Antimitotic Agents; Mitosis Modulators; Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; Alkylating Agents; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Adjuvants, Immunologic; Fluorouracil; Vincristine; BCG Vaccine; Semustine
• Other Study ID Numbers: CDR0000071312; NSABP-C-01