Enoxaparin Versus Aspirin in Patients With Cancer and Stroke

A Pilot Trial of Enoxaparin Versus Aspirin in Patients With Cancer and Stroke

Patients with cancer who develop stroke are at high risk for future strokes or other clotting events. These patients are routinely treated with medicines that thin their blood, including enoxaparin or aspirin. However, it is unclear which medicine is best and whether these medicines can be adequately studied in a clinical trial.

The purpose of this Phase I/II study is to determine if a clinical trial of different blood thinners in patients with cancer and stroke is possible. In addition, the study aims to compare the effects, good and/or bad, of enoxaparin with those of aspirin on patients with cancer and recent stroke.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Cancer Patients First-ever Acute Ischemic Stroke
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Enoxaparin; Drug: Aspirin

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 20
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • New Jersey
    • Basking Ridge, New Jersey, United States, 07920
      • Memorial Sloan Kettering at Basking Ridge
  • New York
    • Commack, New York, United States, 11725
      • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center at Commack
    • Harrison, New York, United States, 10604
      • Memorial Sloan Kettering West Harrison
    • New York, New York, United States, 10065
      • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
    • New York, New York, United States, 10065
      • New York Presbyterian Hospital
    • New York, New York, United States
      • Columbia University
    • New York, New York, United States
      • Weill Cornell Medical Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 85 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Any adult patient with active systemic cancer diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke at the main MSKCC campus or at any of MSKCC's New York City outpatient center WCMC, NYPH/CUMC within the prior four weeks would be eligible.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18 to 85 years of age.
• Active cancer, defined as a pathologic diagnosis of or treatment for any cancer, other than basal-cell or squamous-cell carcinoma of the skin, within the past six months; or patients with known recurrent or metastatic disease within the past six months.
• A pathology report issued at the enrolling site confirming the diagnosis of cancer is required for enrollment.
• Acute ischemic stroke within the prior four weeks, defined as a new neurologic deficit(s) with MRI evidence of acute ischemia in a referable location, and no clinical or radiologic indication of a non-cerebrovascular mimic, such as a brain metastasis, as the etiology of the deficit(s).

Exclusion Criteria:

• Inability to get brain MRI
• Known malignant primary brain tumor.
• Diagnosis of intracranial hemorrhage within the past 3 months, including intratumoral hemorrhage into brain metastases from a systemic cancer.
• Active or serious bleeding within two weeks of enrollment.
• Patient condition associated with a high risk of bleeding such as recent surgery or peptic ulcer disease.
• Clear indication for anticoagulation (e.g., atrial fibrillation) anticipated during the study period.
• Clear indication for antiplatelet agents (e.g., cardiac stents); a patient receiving aspirin for primary prevention prior to index stroke may be enrolled as long as study investigators believe it would be safe for the patient to stop aspirin if the patient was randomized to the enoxaparin arm.
• Active bleeding diathesis.
• Platelet count of ≤ 70,000/mm3, an international normalized ratio (INR) > 1.6, or a partial thromboplastin time (PTT) > 40 seconds.
• Known allergy to heparin or aspirin or a history of heparin induced thrombocytopenia.
• Serum creatinine > 2 mg/dl.
• AST or ALT > 200 U/L.
• Hemoglobin < 8 gm/dl
• Symptomatic carotid stenosis.
• Active pregnancy.
• Life expectancy < 1 month or current hospice care
• Unavailability for follow-up.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Enoxaparin; Patients assigned to enoxaparin.	Drug: Enoxaparin; Patients will be receive 6 months of subcutaneous enoxaparin (1 mg/kg BID with a maximum starting dose of 100 mg BID. Patients who weigh more than 100 kg will start at a dose of 100 mg BID; their subsequent dosing will be guided by hematology and may change.
Experimental: Aspirin; Patients assigned to Aspirin.	Drug: Aspirin; Patients will receive 6 months of oral aspirin (81 mg per day unless a higher dose is preferred by study physicians although the maximum acceptable dose will be 325 mg per day).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Safety Outcomes	Number of Participants with intracranial hemorrhage, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, major bleeding, and death	1 year
Feasibility Outcomes	The primary feasibility outcome is patient enrollment defined as the number of patients who enroll in the study divided by the number of patients who were eligible to enroll.	6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Number of Participants With or Without Recurrent Ischemic Stroke	Secondary efficacy outcomes will be assessed for and will include recurrent ischemic stroke, all strokes (ischemic or hemorrhagic), transient ischemic attack, myocardial infarction, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and systemic arterial thrombosis. Functional outcomes will also be evaluated, including the modified Rankin Scale score, the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale, and the Karnofsky Performance Status Scale.	6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• Collaborators: Weill Medical College of Cornell University; New York Presbyterian Hospital
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Lisa DeAngelis, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): December 18, 2012
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 3, 2019
• Study Completion (Actual): April 3, 2019

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 20, 2012
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 4, 2013
• First Posted (Estimate): January 9, 2013

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 14, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 6, 2020
• Last Verified: April 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Aspirin; stroke; Enoxaparin; 12-264
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Cardiovascular Diseases; Vascular Diseases; Cerebrovascular Disorders; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Stroke; Ischemic Stroke; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Peripheral Nervous System Agents; Enzyme Inhibitors; Analgesics; Sensory System Agents; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Antirheumatic Agents; Fibrinolytic Agents; Fibrin Modulating Agents; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors; Antipyretics; Anticoagulants; Aspirin; Enoxaparin
• Other Study ID Numbers: 12-264