Surgery and Heated Chemotherapy for Adrenocortical Cancer

Sponsor: Columbia University

Sponsor score: 40

ClinicalTrials ID:NCT03127774

This study is exploring whether a combination of surgery and heated chemotherapy can help control adrenocortical cancer that has spread within the abdomen. The trial aims to see if this approach can improve survival without the cancer getting worse, and how it affects patients' quality of life and hormone levels.

Patient Parameters

Program Overview

The study is investigating a treatment for adrenocortical cancer that has spread within the abdomen. It involves surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible, followed by heated chemotherapy directly in the abdomen using a drug called cisplatin. The main goals are to see if this treatment can help patients live longer without the cancer progressing, understand the side effects, and assess how it impacts patients' quality of life and hormone levels. Researchers will also look at how often the cancer comes back and whether it spreads locally or throughout the body.

Description

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare and aggressive cancer with a high mortality rate, where most patients live about 14.5 months after diagnosis. The best treatment for tumors that can be removed is surgery to take out all visible cancer. For cancer that cannot be removed or has spread, medications like mitotane and others are typically used.

This study is testing a new approach for treating ACC that has spread within the abdomen. It combines surgery to remove as much cancer as possible with a special type of chemotherapy called heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). This involves using a heated form of the chemotherapy drug cisplatin, which is delivered directly into the abdomen. Previous studies have shown that heating the chemotherapy can make it work better.

The goal of this trial is to see if this combination of surgery and heated chemotherapy can help patients live longer without the cancer getting worse, and to understand the side effects and impact on quality of life. Researchers will also study how often the cancer returns and whether it spreads locally or throughout the body.

Eligibility Criteria

INCLUSION CRITERIA

  • Histologically proven ACC with the majority of disease confined to the peritoneal cavity and resectable or amenable to radiofrequency ablation

  • Disease evaluable by CT or Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging

  • All disease should be deemed resectable based on imaging studies e.g.:

    • Hepatic metastases (unilateral or bilateral less than or equal to 5 lesions, less than or equal to 15 cm total diameter)
    • Note: Hepatic lesions must be amenable to complete resection
    • Primary peritoneal metastases (small disease load less than or equal to P2 disease) without massive ascites or intestinal obstruction
    • Lung metastases (less than or equal to 3 unilateral/bilateral, 9 cm total diameter)
    • Note: lung lesions must be amenable to complete resection
    • Note: Patients with both pulmonary and hepatic metastases will be enrolled at the discretion of the PI
    • Note: In situations where resection to Completeness of Cytoreduction Score (CC) 0 or 1 is uncertain, patients may undergo diagnostic laparoscopy prior to enrollment to determine feasibility of resection.
  • Greater than or equal to 18 years of age

  • Able to understand and sign the Informed Consent Document

  • Clinical performance status of Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) less than or equal to 2

  • Life expectancy of greater than three months

  • Patients of both genders must be willing to practice birth control during and for four months after receiving chemotherapy

  • Hematology:

    • Absolute neutrophil count greater than 1500/mm^3 without the support of Filgrastim.
    • Platelet count greater than 75,000/mm^3.
    • Hemoglobin greater than 8.0 g/dl.
  • Chemistry:

    • Serum creatinine less than or equal to 1.5 mg/dl unless the measured creatinine clearance is greater than 60 mL/min/1.73 m2
    • serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) within 5 times the upper limit of normal and a total serum bilirubin of less than 3 times the upper limit of normal, both of which define the upper limit of grade 2 treatment related toxicities.
    • Prothrombin time (PT) within 2 seconds of the upper limit of normal (INR less than or equal to 1.8)
  • Recovered from any toxicity to grade 2 or less from all prior chemotherapy, immunotherapy or radiotherapy and be at least 30 days past the date of their last treatment with the exception of mitotane which may be continued.

  • Able to understand their disease and the exploratory nature of combining surgery and HIPEC for this histology.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA

  • Concomitant medical problems that would place the patient at unacceptable risk for a major surgical procedure.
  • History of congestive heart failure and/or an left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) less than 40%

Note: Patients at increased risk for coronary artery disease or cardiac dysfunction (e.g., greater than 65yo, diabetes, history of hypertension, elevated LDL, first degree relative with coronary artery disease) will undergo full cardiac evaluation and will not be eligible if they demonstrate significant irreversible ischemia on stress thallium or an ejection fraction less than 40%.

  • Significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or other chronic pulmonary restrictive disease with pulmonary function test (PFT) indicating an forced expiratory volume at one second (FEV1) less than 50% or a diffusing capacity of lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) less than 40% predicted for age.

Note: Patients who have shortness of breath with minimal exertion or who are at risk for pulmonary disease (e.g., chronic smokers) will undergo pulmonary function testing and will not be eligible if their FEV1 is less than 50% of expected.

  • Grade 2 or greater neuropathy
  • Women of child-bearing potential who are pregnant or breastfeeding because of the potentially dangerous effects of the chemotherapy on the fetus or infant.
  • Brain metastases or a history of brain metastases
  • Childs B or C cirrhosis
  • Evidence of severe portal hypertension by history, endoscopy, or radiologic studies

Note: Any diagnosis of portal hypertension or clinical stigmata of such including but not limited to gastric or esophageal varices, umbilical vein varices or telangiectasias.

  • Weight less than 30 kg
  • Active systemic infections, coagulation disorders or other major medical illnesses of the cardiovascular, respiratory or immune system, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrhythmias, obstructive or restrictive pulmonary disease

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