CompletedPhase 2

Clinical and Biological Interest of Taxanes in Advanced Squamous Cell Anal Carcinoma

France70 participantsStarted 2014-09

Plain-language summary

Squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal (SCCA) is a rare disease and mostly diagnosed at an early stage. After standard concurrent chemoradiation (CRT) with mitomycin (MMC) and 5-fluorouracil (5FU), the disease will recur in 20% of patients. After treatment failure (including salvage surgery), cisplatin-5FU combination is the standard option but complete response is a rare event and the prognosis remains poor with most patients' death occurring in the first 12 months. Decision making for physicians in this setting is only based on retrospective studies or small phase II clinical trials including less than 20 patients. Hence, no efficient standard of care is currently available for relapsing SCCA patients who are currently treated with a palliative intent. Between 2007 and 2013, 8 consecutive patients with advanced recurrent SCCA after CRT were treated with DCF regimen (docetaxel, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil) in the Regional Cancer Institute of Franche Comté. After a median follow-up of 41 months, 4 patients (50%) achieved a complete response. Three patients underwent surgery of all involved metastatic sites. A pathological complete response was observed for all of them including in metastases occurring in irradiated fields, suggesting that taxane-based chemotherapy might be an effective strategy to circumvent resistance to radiotherapy (a preliminary cohort of 8 patients was published (Kim S et al Annals of oncology 2013). Furthermore, all complete responders were HPV 16, and high levels of specific T cell responses against Human Papillomavirus (HPV) HPV16-derived E6/E7 and telomerase were detected in 50% of complete responders suggesting the potential restoration of cancer immunosurveillance by this regimen. Then, the Epitopes-HPV02 multicenter phase II study will aim to confirm the new role of taxane-based chemotherapy in SCCA patients.

Who can participate

Age range

18 Years

Sex

ALL

See this in plain English?

AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.

Inclusion Criteria: * Age ≥ 18 years * Performance status ECOG-WHO ≤ 1 * histologically proved and unresectable locally advanced or metastatic squamous cell anal carcinoma * patient eligible to DCF regimen * signed written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * known hypersensitivity or contraindication to any of the study drugs (docetaxel, cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil). * previous chemotherapy for metastatic disease * previous chemotherapy by paclitaxel, docetaxel or navelbine * previous chemotherapy by cisplatin, except of concomitant radiotherapy * SIDA * clinically significant cardiac disease * other malignancy within the last 3 years, except for adequately treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix or squamous carcinoma of the skin, or adequately controlled limited basal cell skin cancer. * simultaneous participation in another clinical study * pregnancy, breast-feeding or absence of adequate contraception for fertile patients * patient with any medical or psychiatric condition or disease which would make the patient inappropriate for entry into this study. * patient under guardianship, curator or under the protection of justice.

Questions worth asking your doctor

Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.

1Based on my diagnosis and history, is this trial worth exploring for me — or is there a standard treatment we should try first?
2What does this trial's phase tell us about how much is already known about its safety and benefit?
3What would taking part actually involve for me — visits, tests, time, and travel?
4What are the known and possible risks or side effects I should weigh, and how would they be monitored?
5If this trial isn't the right fit, what other options or trials would you suggest I look into?

Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.

Questions for the trial coordinator

The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.

1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?

A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.

What they're measuring

Progression-free survival rate

Timeframe: 12 months after initiation of chemotherapy DCF.

Trial details

NCT IDNCT02402842

SponsorCentre Hospitalier Universitaire de Besancon

Sponsor typeOTHER

Study typeINTERVENTIONAL

Primary completion2018-06

View on ClinicalTrials.gov More Anal Canal Carcinoma trials