Metformin With the Levonorgestrel-Releasing Intrauterine Device for the Treatment of Complex Atypical Hyperplasia (CAH) and Endometrial Cancer (EC) in Non-surgical Patients

Purpose: This is an open label, single-arm, single-center study of the addition of metformin to standard levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device (LR-IUD) treatment of 30 evaluable non-surgical patients with either complex atypical hyperplasia (CAH; n=15) or grade 1 endometrial adenocarcinoma (EC; n=15).

Participants:Women, over the age of 18 years, with biopsy-proven CAH/EC who are not candidates for surgical management, and therefore are planned to start standard of care treatment with the LR-IUD

Procedures (methods): subjects will be given oral metformin therapy for 12 months, or until disease progression occurs (whichever occurs first), in addition to LR-IUD treatment. Serial endometrial biopsies will be performed, as per standard of care, to assess disease status.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Endometrial Cancer; Complex Atypical Hyperplasia
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Metformin

Detailed Description

STUDY OBJECTIVES Primary Objective

-To compare the rate of CR at 6 months in non-surgical grade 1 EC and CAH patients receiving metformin + LR-IUD to 50%

Secondary Objectives

• to estimate the rate of CR at 6 months separately in grade 1 EC and CAH patients receiving metformin + LR-IUD
• to estimate the rate of CR at 12 months in non-surgical grade 1 EC and CAH patients receiving metformin + LR-IUD
• to document patient adherence to long-term (≥3 months) metformin administration
• To describe safety of metformin + LR-IUD treatment

Exploratory Objectives

• To explore changes in cellular proliferation as measured by the marker, Ki-67, from baseline to 6 months
• To explore association between the level of expression of the metformin transporter proteins and key targets of the metformin/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway and CR status at 6 months
• To perform a comprehensive unbiased profiling of metabolites by analyzing the metabolic "fingerprints" of the biofluids (i.e. serum and urine) and "footprints" of the tumor tissue pre- and post- 6 months of metformin treatment
• To explore association between metabolic factors and metformin concentration levels in tumor tissue/blood/urine and CR at 6 months

This is an open label, single-arm, single-center study of the addition of metformin to standard levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device (LR-IUD) treatment of 30 evaluable non-surgical patients with either complex atypical hyperplasia (CAH; n=15) or grade 1 endometrial adenocarcinoma (EC; n=15). Women, over the age of 18 years, with biopsy-proven CAH/EC who are not candidates for surgical management, and therefore are planned to start standard of care treatment with the LR-IUD, will be given oral metformin therapy for 12 months, or until disease progression occurs (whichever occurs first), in addition to LR-IUD treatment. Serial endometrial biopsies will be performed, as per standard of care, to assess disease status. We hypothesize that the addition of metformin to standard LR-IUD treatment of CAH and grade 1 EC will result in a complete response (CR) rate at 6 months that is significantly higher than 50% in a population of non-surgical candidates. In addition, we plan to estimate CR rate at 6 months in CAH and EC separately, and in the group as a whole at 12 months. We will also document the rate of patient adherence to long-term metformin therapy.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 20
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • North Carolina
    • Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States, 27599
      • Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
  • Ohio
    • Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, 45220
      • TriHealth

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Subjects must meet all of the inclusion criteria to participate in this study:

• Histologically confirmed CAH or grade 1 EC
• Females age ≥ 18 years
• Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status 0 - 4

• Non-surgical candidates due to:

  • Desire for fertility preserving treatment

  • Unacceptable surgical risk as defined by:

    • American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status (ASA) ≥ 4 and/or Perioperative Cardiac Risk > 5%(45) and/or Perioperative Respiratory Failure Risk > 5%(46)

AND

oIndependent medicine or cardiology pre-op consultation concluding 'high' surgical risk.

• Planned treatment with the LR-IUD for CAH or grade 1 EC by primary physician
• Women of childbearing potential (WOCBP) must have negative pregnancy test within 7 days of D1 of treatment
• Understand study design, risks, and benefits and have signed informed consent

Exclusion Criteria Any patient meeting any of the exclusion criteria at baseline will be excluded from study participation.

• Evidence of renal dysfunction (Cr > 1.5mg/dL or Cr clearance < 60 mL/m2) or liver dysfunction (AST/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) > 2x upper limit of normal (ULN))
• Currently receiving progestin therapy (local, topical, or systemic)
• Myometrial invasion >50% or evidence of nodal or metastatic disease on baseline MRI (MRI only to be done for EC patients) or tumor size > 2cm on MRI or pelvic ultrasound
• Mixed histology including clear cell, serous, undifferentiated or sarcomatous elements
• Prior or current use of metformin within the past 3 months
• History of hypersensitivity to metformin or history of discontinuation secondary to attributed adverse effects
• Chronic (daily use for > 1 month) use of cimetidine (significant increase in metformin concentration and risk of lactic acidosis)
• Iodinated contrast agents used in prior 48 hours (significant increase in metformin concentration and risk of lactic acidosis)
• Pregnant or lactating
• Recent (< 4 weeks) active, documented, cervical infection

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: Metformin; Metformin, 850 mg. twice daily.	Drug: Metformin; Metformin added to standard non-surgical treatment with levonorgestrel-Releasing Intrauterine Device.; Other Names: glucophage

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Complete Response Rate - 6 Months	Complete Response is subjects with complex atypical hyperplasia or Grade 1 endometrial adenocarcinoma percentage of individuals achieved complete disease regression as defined by no evidence of microscopic viable hyperplasia or carcinoma on endometrial biopsy.	Up to 6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Complete Response Rate by Group	Complete Response is the percentage of individuals achieving complete disease regression as defined by no evidence of microscopic viable hyperplasia or carcinoma on endometrial biopsy in complex atypical hyperplasia and Grade 1 endometrial adenocarcinoma groups. The group are based on the initial treatment assignment and not on the treatment eventually received.	Up to 6 months
Percent Complete Response Rate-12 Months	Complete Response is the percentage of participants achieving complete disease regression as defined by no evidence of microscopic viable hyperplasia or carcinoma on endometrial biopsy.	Up to 12 months
Adherence of Treatment	Patients adhered to at least 80% of the scheduled doses throughout the prescribed treatment period. Subjects who achieved a biopsy-proven complete response stopped the treatment early but were still considered adherent to the treatment.	12 months
Treatment Attributed Adverse Events	All treatment-attributed adverse events (definite, possible, and probable) with grade information are reported based on The NCI Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 4.0. CTCAE is a descriptive terminology that can be utilized for Adverse Event (AE) reporting. A grading (severity) scale is provided for each AE term. Grade 1 Mild; asymptomatic or mild symptoms; clinical or diagnostic observations only; intervention not indicated. Grade 2 Moderate; minimal, local, or noninvasive intervention indicated; limiting age-appropriate instrumental Activities of Daily Living (ADL). Grade 3 Severe or medically significant but not immediately life-threatening; hospitalization or prolongation of hospitalization indicated; disabling; limiting self-care ADL. Grade 4 Life-threatening consequences; urgent intervention indicated. Grade 5 Death related to AE.	Up to 12 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
• Collaborators: Golfers Against Cancer
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Victoria Bae-Jump, MD, PhD, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center Clinical Trials

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 27, 2014
• Primary Completion (Actual): October 12, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): April 12, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 10, 2014
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 10, 2014
• First Posted (Estimated): January 14, 2014

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 22, 2024
• Last Verified: November 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: endometrial cancer; metformin; Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center; complex atypical hyperplasia
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Urogenital Diseases; Genital Diseases; Pathologic Processes; Urogenital Neoplasms; Neoplasms by Site; Neoplasms; Female Urogenital Diseases; Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications; Uterine Diseases; Genital Diseases, Female; Genital Neoplasms, Female; Uterine Neoplasms; Hyperplasia; Endometrial Neoplasms; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Hypoglycemic Agents; Metformin
• Other Study ID Numbers: LCCC1326; 12-0886 (Other Identifier: IRB)