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Fluorouracil, Gemcitabine, and Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Cancer of the Pancreas

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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00003216
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : January 27, 2003
Last Update Posted : November 19, 2013
Sponsor:
Collaborators:
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group
Southwest Oncology Group
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
Radiation Therapy Oncology Group

Study Description
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Brief Summary:

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Combining radiation therapy with chemotherapy may kill more tumor cells. It is not yet known which treatment regimen is most effective for pancreatic cancer.

PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of fluorouracil and gemcitabine plus radiation therapy in treating patients with cancer of the pancreas who have undergone surgery.


Condition or disease Intervention/treatment Phase
Pancreatic Cancer Drug: fluorouracil Drug: gemcitabine hydrochloride Radiation: radiation therapy Phase 3

Detailed Description:

OBJECTIVES:

  • Compare the overall and disease-free survival of patients with resected adenocarcinoma of the pancreas treated with adjuvant fluorouracil-based chemoradiotherapy preceded and followed by fluorouracil vs gemcitabine.
  • Compare the local-regional and distant disease control in patients treated with these regimens.
  • Compare the acute and late toxic effects of these regimens in these patients.

OUTLINE: This is a randomized, multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to nodal involvement (yes vs no), tumor diameter (less than 3 cm vs 3 cm or greater), and surgical margins (negative vs positive vs unknown). Patients are randomized to one of two treatment arms.

  • Arm I: Beginning 3-8 weeks after definitive surgical resection, patients receive fluorouracil IV continuously for 3 weeks. Beginning 1-2 weeks later, patients receive fluorouracil IV continuously concurrently with radiotherapy 5 days a week for 5.5 weeks. Beginning 3-5 weeks after completion of chemoradiotherapy, patients receive fluorouracil IV continuously for 4 weeks every 6 weeks for 2 courses.
  • Arm II: Beginning 3-8 weeks after definitive surgical resection, patients receive gemcitabine IV once weekly for 3 weeks. Beginning 1-2 weeks later, patients receive chemoradiotherapy as in arm I. Beginning 3-5 weeks after completion of chemoradiotherapy, patients receive gemcitabine IV once weekly for 3 weeks every 4 weeks for 3 courses.

Patients are followed every 3 months for 1 year, every 6 months for 2 years, and then annually thereafter.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 518 patients will be accrued for this study within 8.6 years.


Study Design
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Study Type : Interventional  (Clinical Trial)
Estimated Enrollment : 518 participants
Allocation: Randomized
Primary Purpose: Treatment
Official Title: A Phase III Study of Pre and Post Chemoradiation 5-FU vs. Pre and Post Chemoradiation Gemcitabine for Postoperative Adjuvant Treatment of Resected Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
Study Start Date : July 1998
Actual Primary Completion Date : October 2005

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Arms and Interventions
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Outcome Measures
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Eligibility Criteria
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Ages Eligible for Study:   18 Years and older   (Adult, Senior)
Sexes Eligible for Study:   All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:   No
Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

  • Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the pancreas

    • Stage T1-4, N0-1 (stage I-IVA)
    • No M1 or NX staging
    • Primary tumor of the pancreas (pancreatic head, neck, uncinate process, or body/tail) and maximum diameter/dimension and tumor status at surgical margin known
  • Prior potentially curative gross resection within 3-8 weeks before study
  • No non-adenocarcinomas, adenosquamous carcinomas, islet cell carcinomas, cystadenomas, cystadenocarcinomas, carcinoid tumors, duodenal carcinomas, distal bile duct carcinoma, or ampullary carcinoma
  • No recurrent disease
  • Post-resection CA-19-9 level required

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

  • 18 and over

Performance status:

  • Karnofsky 60-100%

Life expectancy:

  • Not specified

Hematopoietic:

  • WBC at least 3,000/mm^3
  • Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

  • Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
  • SGOT no greater than 5 times ULN

Renal:

  • Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN

Other:

  • No significant nausea or vomiting
  • No prior malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanomatous skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix

  • Able to maintain adequate nutrition (at least 1,500 calories/day)

    • Feeding tube allowed
  • Not pregnant
  • Negative pregnancy test
  • Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

  • Not specified

Chemotherapy:

  • No prior chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

  • Not specified

Radiotherapy:

  • No prior radiotherapy

Surgery:

  • See Disease Characteristics
Contacts and Locations
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To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00003216


  Show 107 Study Locations
Sponsors and Collaborators
Radiation Therapy Oncology Group
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group
Southwest Oncology Group
Investigators
Study Chair: William F. Regine, MD Lucille P. Markey Cancer Center at University of Kentucky
Study Chair: Al B. Benson, MD, FACP Robert H. Lurie Cancer Center
Study Chair: John S. MacDonald, MD Beth Israel Comprehensive Cancer Center - West Side Campus
More Information
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Publications of Results:
Tempero MA, Winter KA, Kim GE, et al.: S100A2 as a prognostic marker in patients receiving adjuvant therapy for pancreatic cancer (PC): A secondary analysis of RTOG 9704. [Abstract] J Clin Oncol 29 (Suppl 15): A-4118, 2011.
Farrell J, Bae K, Guha C, et al.: Correlation of cytidine deaminase single nucleotide polymorphism and toxicity from gemcitabine in patients with pancreatic cancer from RTOG 9704. [Abstract] American Society of Clinical Oncology 2009 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, 15-17 January 2009, San Francisco, CA. A-115, 2009.
Piperdi B, Ng S, Piperdi M, et al.: Single institutional experience with oral capecitabine (Cap) in adjuvant therapy for pancreatic cancer: Gemcitabine (G) followed by Cap/RT followed by G. [Abstract] American Society of Clinical Oncology 2009 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, 15-17 January 2009, San Francisco, CA. A-229, 2009.
Abrams RA, Winter KA, Regine WF, et al.: Correlation of RTOG 9704 (adjuvant therapy (rx) of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (pan ca)) radiation therapy quality assurance scores (RTQASc) with survival (S). [Abstract] J Clin Oncol 25 (Suppl 18): A-4523, 2007.
Berger AC, Winter K, Hoffman J, et al.: Post-resection CA 19-9 predicts overall survival (OS) in patients treated with adjuvant chemoradiation: a secondary endpoint of RTOG 9704. [Abstract] J Clin Oncol 25 (Suppl 18): A-4522, 2007.
Regine WF, Garcia M, Berger AC, et al.: Post-resectional CA 19-9 values >90 are associated with significantly worse survival in patients with pancreatic carcinoma treated with adjuvant therapy on RTOG 9704: implications for current and future trials. [Abstract] Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 69 (3 Suppl): A-137, S78, 2007.
Abrams RA, Winter KA, Regine WF, et al.: RTOG 9704: radiotherapy quality assurance (QA) review and survival. [Abstract] Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 66 (3 Suppl 1): A-39, S22, 2006.
Regine WF, Winter KA, Abrams R, et al.: A phase III intergroup trial (RTOG 97-04) of adjuvant pre and post chemoradiation (CRT) 5-FU vs. gemcitabine (G) for resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma. [Abstract] Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 66 (3 Suppl 1): A-42, S23-4, 2006.
Regine WF, Winter KW, Abrams R, et al.: RTOG 9704 a phase III study of adjuvant pre and post chemoradiation (CRT) 5-FU vs. gemcitabine (G) for resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma. [Abstract] J Clin Oncol 24 (Suppl 18): A-4007, 180s, 2006.

Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):

Responsible Party: Radiation Therapy Oncology Group
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00003216     History of Changes
Other Study ID Numbers: RTOG-9704
CDR0000066076
E-R9704
SWOG-R9704
First Posted: January 27, 2003    Key Record Dates
Last Update Posted: November 19, 2013
Last Verified: November 2013

Keywords provided by Radiation Therapy Oncology Group:
stage I pancreatic cancer
stage II pancreatic cancer
stage III pancreatic cancer
adenocarcinoma of the pancreas
stage IV pancreatic cancer

Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Pancreatic Neoplasms
Digestive System Neoplasms
Neoplasms by Site
Neoplasms
Endocrine Gland Neoplasms
Digestive System Diseases
Pancreatic Diseases
Endocrine System Diseases
Gemcitabine
Fluorouracil
 Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic
Antimetabolites
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
Antineoplastic Agents
Antiviral Agents
Anti-Infective Agents
Enzyme Inhibitors
Immunosuppressive Agents
Immunologic Factors
Physiological Effects of Drugs