Short Course Radiation Therapy With Proton or Photon Beam Capecitabine and Hydroxychloroquine for Resectable Pancreatic Cancer

Phase II Study of Neoadjuvant Accelerated Short Course Radiation Therapy With Proton or Photon RT Plus Capecitabine and Hydroxychloroquine for Resectable Pancreatic Cancer

A standard treatment for patients with pancreatic cancer is standard photon radiation in combination with the chemotherapy drug, capecitabine. In this research study the investigators are using standard photon radiation or a different type of radiation therapy called proton beam radiation and adding hydroxychloroquine to be used in combination with capecitabine.

In this research study, the investigators are looking to determine if proton or photon beam radiation in combination with hydroxychloroquine and capecitabine is effective in controlling your cancer growth.

Study Overview

• Status: Unknown
• Conditions: Pancreatic Cancer
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Capecitabine; Drug: Hydroxychloroquine; Radiation: Proton or Photon Radiation Therapy

Detailed Description

Subjects will be treated in cycles of 28 days. Hydroxychloroquine will be taken orally, daily until the day before surgery and will resume after surgery until study end.

Capecitabine will be taken orally, daily. Proton or photon radiation treatment will start on Week 2 and will be delivered daily (5 days in a row, but not weekends or holidays). Radiation treatment will be give on an outpatient basis at the Francis H. Burr Proton Center or the Clark Center for Radiation Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital.

The following tests will be performed weekly: physical exam, routine blood tests, optional blood tests and an eye exam every 3 months while taking hydroxychloroquine.

Subjects will have surgery (any time between Weeks 5 to 9) and after surgery resume taking hydroxychloroquine. Subjects will have a follow up visit every 3 months which will include: physical exam, routine blood tests, eye exam, and tumor assessment by chest and abdominal-pelvic CT scan or MRI (every 6 months for the first 2 years and yearly for years 3-5).

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 50
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Massachusetts
    • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02114
      • Massachusetts General Hospital

Participation Criteria

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:

• Cytologic or histologic proof of pancreatic ductal carcinoma
• Life expectancy > 3 months
• Adequate organ and marrow function

Exclusion Criteria:

• Evidence of metastatic disease
• Pregnant or breast-feeding
• Tumors in the body or tail of the pancreas
• Serious concomitant systemic disorders such as significant cardiac or pulmonary morbidity (e.g. congestive heart failure, symptomatic coronary artery disease and cardiac arrhythmias not well controlled with medication) or myocardial infarction within the last 12 months, ongoing infection as manifest by fever
• Prior chemotherapy or radiation for treatment of the patient's pancreatic tumor
• Diagnosis of other invasive carcinomas (except basal cell carcinomas/squamous cell carcinoma of the skin) with the last 5 years. Carcinoma in-situ is allowed.
• Other serious uncontrolled medical conditions
• Lack of physical integrity of the upper gastrointestinal tract or malabsorption syndrome
• Known, existing uncontrolled coagulopathy
• Prior systemic fluoropyrimidine therapy (unless given in an adjuvant setting and completed at least 6 months earlier). Prior unanticipated severe reaction to fluoropyrimidine therapy, or known hypersensitivity to 5-fluorouracil or known DPD deficiency
• Participation in any investigational drug study within 4 weeks preceding the start of study treatment
• History of uncontrolled seizures, central nervous system disorders, or psychiatric disability
• Major surgery, excluding laparoscopy, within 4 weeks of the start of study treatment, without complete recovery
• Currently taking cimetidine
• Receiving any other study agents
• History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to capecitabine and HCQ
• Already taking HCQ or chloroquine for other diagnosis
• History of Grade 3 or greater retinopathy or keratitis

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Hydroxychloroquine; Hydroxychloroquine with chemoradiation	Drug: Capecitabine; 825 mg/m2 BID orally for a total of 10 days (M-F of weeks 2 and 3); Other Names: Xeloda; Drug: Hydroxychloroquine; 400 mg BID from study day 1 until surgery. Dosing resumed upon discharge from hospital; Other Names: Plaquenil; Radiation: Proton or Photon Radiation Therapy; Daily, beginning Week 2 for 5 consecutive days

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Progression-free survival	To determine the progression-free survival of the addition of hydroxychloroquine to preoperative short course, chemoradiation therapy and adjuvant gemcitabine chemotherapy	2 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Pathologic response rate	To determine the complete pathologic response rate of preoperative capecitabine combined with hydroxychloroquine and short course radiation therapy in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy	2 years
Overall survival	To determine overall survival in patients treated with preoperative capecitabine + hydroxychloroquine and short course radiation therapy	2 years
Toxicity/Adverse events	To determine the toxicity of capecitabine + hydroxychloroquine and short course radiation therapy in patients with pancreatic cancer via analysis of frequency and grades of reported toxicities and adverse events, such as GI and hematologic toxicities, occurring in study participants	2 years
Surgical morbidity	To determine the surgical morbidity in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy who received preoperative capecitabine + hydroxychloroquine and external beam radiation therapy	2 years
Post-operative Mortality	To determine 30-day post-operative mortality after pancreaticoduodenectomy in patients who receive preoperative capecitabine and external beam radiation therapy	2 weeks
Biomarkers	To explore biomarkers of autophagy with hydroxychloroquine therapy and explore correlation with progression-free survival	2 years
Pathologic down-staging	To determine pathologic down-staging of hydroxychloroquine-based short course chemoradiation compared to a previous cohort (treated in prior study of neoadjuvant capecitabine + proton therapy)	2 years
Local control	To determine local tumor control at 2 years post treatment in study participants	2 years
Describe QoL	To describe quality of life, symptom burden and mood in the study population	2 Years
Measure utilization of health services	Measure utilization of health services (ER, hospital and ICU visits) in the study population	2 years

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Massachusetts General Hospital

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: December 1, 2011
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): January 1, 2022
• Study Completion (Anticipated): January 1, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 29, 2011
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 14, 2011
• First Posted (Estimate): December 16, 2011

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 2, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 1, 2021
• Last Verified: February 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: pancreaticoduodenectomy; resectable pancreatic cancer
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Digestive System Diseases; Neoplasms; Neoplasms by Site; Endocrine System Diseases; Digestive System Neoplasms; Endocrine Gland Neoplasms; Pancreatic Diseases; Pancreatic Neoplasms; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Anti-Infective Agents; Enzyme Inhibitors; Antirheumatic Agents; Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; Antimetabolites; Antineoplastic Agents; Antiprotozoal Agents; Antiparasitic Agents; Antimalarials; Capecitabine; Hydroxychloroquine
• Other Study ID Numbers: 11-073