Technical Feasibility of Modified Early Post-Operative Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (mEPIC)

May 12, 2026 updated by: Ciusss de L'Est de l'Île de Montréal

The goal of this prospective phase II unicentric Canadian clinical trial is to clarify the feasibility of modified early post-operative intraperitoneal chemotherapy (mEPIC) following cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in the clinical context of peritoneal carcinomatosis from colorectal and appendicular neoplasms.

The primary objective of this study is to confirm the feasibility of mEPIC by evaluating its completion rate compared to the one of historical standard early post-operative intraperitoneal chemotherapy (EPIC) cohorts. The secondary objectives of the study are to evaluate the safety of the mEPIC protocol by monitoring adverse events arising during the protocol and to assess logistical implementation barriers for the nursing and Oncology pharmacy teams, respectively.

Participants will undergo a modified schedule of EPIC (mEPIC) designed to maximize therapeutic benefit by exploiting the known pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics properties of fluorouracil (5-FU) while limiting the logistical issues of the standard protocol. mEPIC consists in shortening the original protocol from five to two days of postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy. Additionally, instead of solely administering a singular 5-FU bolus per 24 hours-period, mEPIC is based on the De Gramont intravenous regimen and consists of administering one intraperitoneal bolus of 5-FU (400 mg/m2) followed by a 24 hours-intraperitoneal infusion of 5-FU (1200 mg/m2) on postoperative days 1 and 2.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Early postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy (EPIC) was first introduced by Sugarbaker in the 1990s in an effort to reduce disease recurrence and to prolong long-term survival of patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis from colorectal and appendicular malignancies including pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP). Given the high risk of peritoneal recurrence, even after optimal cytoreduction, EPIC was a simple way of delivering high doses of cytotoxic agents targeted at the peritoneal surfaces without systemic compromise and eliminating any residual microscopic tumor deposits before the formation of fibrinous adhesions. The original protocol consists of administering 650 mg / m2 of intraperitoneal Fluorouracil (5-FU) in hypertonic, high molecular weight solution on postoperative days one to five. This solution is administered as an intraperitoneal bolus, remains for 23 hours with the surgical drains clamped before one hour of free drainage. Currently, there is no definitive randomised data comparing the benefit of EPIC versus no EPIC in any indication. One study that evaluated repeated cycles of intraperitoneal 5-FU in colon cancer demonstrated improved survival, but the study was discontinued early due to poor recruitment. Non-randomised data from the St George Hospital Peritoneal Surface Malignancy Program suggests a benefit for the addition of EPIC to hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) with respect to survival outcomes in low-grade appendiceal cancers with no differences in morbidity but requires increased time in high dependency care unit. A recent study also demonstrates that in low-grade appendiceal neoplasms with pseudomyxoma peritonei, the addition of EPIC to HIPEC with cytoreductive surgery (CRS) improves overall survival in propensity score matched cases but results in prolonged hospitalisation. There is also conflicting data showing no advantage for the addition of EPIC to HIPEC in colorectal and high grade appendiceal cancer and an increased rate of grade III/IV complications.

From a therapeutic perspective, the use of intraperitoneal 5-FU benefits from the high peritoneal to plasma area under the curve, hence allowing the administration of higher intraperitoneal doses than intravenous doses with a resultant 250-fold increased tissue exposure. Even with significantly higher doses of 5-FU, systemic toxicities are much lower than systemic infusion due in part from the first pass metabolism through the liver. However, the standard EPIC protocol does not take into account the short perfusate half-life of 5-FU (0.75-1.5 hour). Consequently, by administering it as a large bolus, the majority of 5-FU is metabolized from the intraperitoneal compartment within 4-7.5 hours even though the solution remains intraperitoneally for 23 hours. In comparison to systemic therapy, infusions regimens of 5-FU based on protracted venous infusion or the so-called De Gramont regimen have essentially replaced bolus regimens such as the Mayo and Roswell Park regimens due to superior efficacy and better toxicity profiles. It consists in administering a bolus of 5-FU to achieve therapeutic concentrations followed by protracted venous infusion of 5-FU. This mode of administration also maximizes the inhibition of thymidylate synthase and other targets of 5-FU.

Additionally, there are clinical and administrative down-sides to the existing standard EPIC. These include: protracted occupancy of high dependency unit beds with a high nurse to patient ratio, which aggravates existing access issues. Furthermore, there are risks of abdominal tamponade, generalised discomfort during the procedure, prolonged ileus and increased risk of fistula and collection, hence prolonging length of stay. For these mentioned reasons, many patients do not complete every day of the planned treatment. For instance, out of the 435 patients who received EPIC in a high-volume center (St George Hospital) between 1996 and 2017, 269 (61.8%) completed the 5-day protocol, 33 (7.6%), 30 (6.9%), 45 (10.3%) and 58 (13.3%) completed 1, 2, 3 and 4 days of EPIC, respectively.

Rationale for Performing this Study:

Although, there is no randomised evidence to support EPIC, it has become one of the standard therapies for management of colorectal and appendicular neoplasms with peritoneal carcinomatosis in many high-volume surgical oncology centers. There is a need to devise a logistically more feasible regimen and also exploit the known pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics properties of 5-FU. Our phase II trial proposes a modified schedule of EPIC (mEPIC) designed to maximize therapeutic advantages and reduce logistical barriers. This modified EPIC (mEPIC) consists in shortening the original protocol from five to two days of postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy. Additionally, instead of solely administering a singular 5-FU bolus per 24 hours-period, mEPIC is based on the De Gramont intravenous regimen and consists of administering one intraperitoneal bolus of 5-FU (400 mg/m2) followed by a 24 hours-intraperitoneal infusion of 5-FU (1200 mg/m2) on postoperative days 1 and 2. The total proposed intraperitoneal dose of 1600 mg / m2 per day is comparable to and/or lower than described dosing ranges of 5-FU described in the literature. These doses are equivalent to systemic (intravenous) doses but the systemic exposure would be significantly less due to the known intraperitoneal to plasma area under the curve (AUC) ratios of up to 1000-fold. In this regard, the proposed dose is considered to be toxicologically safe.

The purpose of the study is to confirm the feasibility of mEPIC by evaluating its completion rate compared to the one of historical EPIC cohorts in patients with colorectal and appendicular neoplasms with peritoneal carcinomatosis treated with CRS and HIPEC. The hypothesis of this study is that mEPIC will be superior to the standard EPIC protocol in terms of completion rate. The safety of mEPIC (adverse events) and logistical nursing or pharmaceutical problems will also be recorded and assessed. Demonstrating feasibility of mEPIC will facilitate development of subsequent clinical trials evaluating its efficacy (recurrence free survival) and safety (30-day morbidity/mortality) compared to the standard EPIC protocol.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

25

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 Contact

Study Locations

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patient's age 18 years or older, both genders.
  • In good general health as evidenced by an ECOG score of 0 or 1.
  • Histological diagnosis of appendicular or colorectal tumors with peritoneal carcinomatosis, either synchronous (< 12 months after primary diagnosis) or metachronous (>12 months after the primary diagnosis)
  • Complete staging defined as: (1)Computed tomography (CT) scan of the chest, abdomen and pelvis. (2) Positron emission tomography (PET) scan when clinically appropriate. (3) Diagnostic laparoscopy reporting Peritoneal carcinomatosis index (PCI) +/- biopsy
  • Meets criteria for recommendation by combined multidisciplinary team and tumor board for cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS+HIPEC) followed by mEPIC
  • Surgery must be performed within 4-6 weeks following the end of neoadjuvant therapy or 4-6 weeks following the patient's enrollment if no neoadjuvant therapy needed.
  • Provision of signed and dated informed consent form
  • Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and availability for the study duration
  • Hematology: Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1,500/ μL; Platelets > 75,000/ μL.
  • Adequate Renal function Creatinine <1.5 x the upper limit of normal (ULN) or calculated creatinine clearance of ≥ 50ml/min.
  • Adequate Hepatic function: Bilirubin less than 1.5mg/dL; (except in patients with Gilbert's Syndrome, who must have a total bilirubin less than 3.0mg/dL).

Exclusion Criteria:

Pre-cytoreductive surgery:

  • Other malignancies other than appendicular and colorectal neoplasms with peritoneal involvement
  • Inability to complete cytoreductive surgery (ECOG 2 or above) or any patient deemed unfit for surgery
  • Known allergic reaction or major toxicity to Fluorouracil
  • Contraindications to Fluorouracil, including history of coronary spasm and/or known dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase deficiency
  • Pregnancy
  • Evidence of extensive intraperitoneal adhesions at the time of surgery which prohibits intraperitoneal therapy, as determined by the operating surgeon.
  • Any condition that would preclude the ability to deliver appropriate intraperitoneal (IP) therapy.

Post-cytoreductive surgery:

  • Patient deemed not medically suitable to receive mEPIC protocol according to surgical team
  • Uncorrected coagulopathy and/or thrombocytopenia and/or neutropenia
  • Active infection
  • Hemodynamic and / or respiratory compromise
  • Evidence of extensive intraperitoneal adhesions at the time of surgery which prohibits intraperitoneal therapy, as determined by the operating surgeon.
  • Any condition that would preclude the ability to deliver appropriate IP therapy.

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

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: mEPIC
Adults (male and female) with a diagnosis of appendicular or colorectal cancer with peritoneal carcinomatosis will undergo mEPIC on post-operative days 1 and 2 following cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy.
Drug: Modified early post-operative intraperitoneal chemotherapy (mEPIC)

On post-operative days 1 and 2, an abdominal reservoir is obtained by administering 1000 mL of plasmalyte with 50 mEq NaHCO3 via a Tenckhoff catheter. Participants will then receive an intraperitoneal fluorouracil bolus of 400 mg/m2 administered over 1 to 2 minutes followed by a continuous intraperitoneal fluorouracil infusion of 1200 mg/m2 over the next 24 hours. During the continuous intraperitoneal infusion of fluorouracil, 50 mg of folinic acid is administered intravenously.

After completion of mEPIC day 1, the perfusate is drained out before starting mEPIC day 2.

Other Names:
  • mEPIC

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Feasibility of mEPIC
Time Frame: 2 days (assessed at the end of mEPIC protocol).
Evaluate mEPIC completion rate in patients with colorectal and appendicular cancer with peritoneal carcinomatosis treated with CRS and HIPEC and followed by mEPIC in a tertiary Canadian centre.
2 days (assessed at the end of mEPIC protocol).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Safety of mEPIC
Time Frame: Up to 3 weeks (assessed during the hospitalization following the participant's surgery).
Evaluate the safety of the mEPIC protocol by monitoring adverse events arising during the protocol.
Up to 3 weeks (assessed during the hospitalization following the participant's surgery).
Satisfaction of care team
Time Frame: 2 days (assessed during mEPIC protocol)
Assess satisfaction of care team including surgery and nursing teams regarding the implementation process of the mEPIC protocol. It is evaluated using a questionnaire form collecting comments from the care team about logistical barriers encountered during mEPIC protocol.
2 days (assessed during mEPIC protocol)

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Ciusss de L'Est de l'Île de Montréal

Collaborators

Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Mikael Soucisse, MD, FRCSC, CIUSSS de l'Est-de-l'Île-de-Montréal - Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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 (Actual)

May 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

May 1, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

September 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 25, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 12, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

June 22, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 14, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 12, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • CER-CEMTL 2023-3236

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

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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