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TORCH: A Study of Tarceva or Chemotherapy for the Treatment of Advanced Non Small Cell Lung Cancer

An International Randomized Phase III Study of First-line Erlotinib Followed by Second-line Cisplatin + Gemcitabine Versus First-line Cisplatin + Gemcitabine Followed by Second-line Erlotinib in Advanced Non Small Cell Lung Cancer

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT00349219
Acronym
TORCH
Enrollment
760
Registered
2006-07-06
Start date
2006-12-31
Completion date
2012-06-30
Last updated
2016-01-15

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Keywords

first-line, second-line, targeted therapy

Brief summary

The purpose of this study is to compare first-line erlotinib followed at progression by second-line chemotherapy vs. first-line chemotherapy followed at progression by second-line erlotinib in the treatment of Advanced Non Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC).

Detailed description

Chemotherapy for patients affected by advanced NSCLC has demonstrated only modest improvement in survival rates over best supportive care: the prognosis of patients remains poor and the side effects are considerable. Therefore, novel agents are urgently needed for this disease. One way to improve effectiveness of therapies is to use non-chemotherapeutic agents that act on biological targets and cause fewer systemic side effects. Erlotinib(Tarceva)is a biological therapy that in recent clinical trials has shown promise in first- and second-line treatment of advanced NSCLC. In this trial, patients will be randomized to one of two treatment strategies: \- erlotinib taken by mouth daily; and, if disease progression occurs, to be followed by chemotherapy with cisplatin and gemcitabine at standard doses for 6 cycles OR \- chemotherapy with cisplatin and gemcitabine given intravenously at standard doses for 6 cycles; and if disease progression occurs to be followed by erlotinib taken by mouth daily The study is conducted with the partial support of Roche, S.p.A.

Interventions

DRUGerlotinib

erlotinib 150 mg taken orally daily until disease progression

DRUGcisplatin

cisplatin 80 mg/m2 IV day 1 every 3 weeks given in second-line therapy

DRUGgemcitabine

gemcitabine 1200 mg/m2 IV days 1 and 8 every 3 weeks, given in second-line

Sponsors

San Giuseppe Moscati Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
Princess Margaret Hospital, Canada
CollaboratorOTHER
University of Alberta
CollaboratorOTHER
University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli
CollaboratorOTHER
National Cancer Institute, Naples
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Diagnosis of cytologically or histologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer * Metastatic (stage IV) or locally advanced (stage IIIB, with metastasis to supraclavicular nodes or with pleural effusion). * Both patients at first diagnosis or those with disease recurrence after former surgery are eligible. * At least one target or non-target lesion according to RECIST criteria * Male or female \> 18 years of age (Italy upper age limit 70 years) * ECOG PS 0 or 1 * Life expectancy of \> 3 months * Neutrophils \> 1,500 mm3, platelets \> 100,000 mm3, and hemoglobin \> 9 g/dL * Bilirubin level either normal or \< 1.5 x ULN * AST (SGOT) and ALT (SGPT) \< 2.5 x ULN (\< 5 x ULN if liver metastasis are present) * Serum creatinine \< 1.5 x ULN * Effective contraception for both, male and female patients if the risk of conception exists * Signed written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

* Prior exposure to agents directed at the HER axis (e.g. gefitinib, cetuximab, trastuzumab). * Prior chemotherapy or therapy with systemic anti-neoplastic therapy (e.g., monoclonal antibody therapy) for advanced disease. Prior surgery and/or localised irradiation is permitted. Prior neoadjuvant chemotherapy for operable disease or adjuvant chemotherapy is permitted if it did not contain gemcitabine and if at least 1 year elapsed from the end of chemotherapy and the date of relapse. * Any unstable systemic disease (including active infections, significant cardiovascular disease or myocardial infarction within the previous year, any significant hepatic, renal or metabolic disease), metabolic dysfunction, physical examination finding, or clinical laboratory finding that contraindicates the use of study medications or render the patient at high risk from treatment complications. * Any other malignancies within past 5 years (except for adequately treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix or basal or squamous cell skin cancer or surgically resected prostate cancer with normal PSA). * Patients are excluded if they have brain metastasis or spinal cord compression that has not yet been definitively treated with surgery and/or radiation; previously diagnosed and treated CNS metastases or spinal cord compression without evidence of stable disease (clinically stable imaging) for at least 2 months will also cause patients to be excluded. Patients with asymptomatic CNS metastases and not requiring steroids to control symptoms can be included, even if on anti-seizure medications. * HIV positive patients * Any inflammatory changes of the surface of the eye at baseline * Patients who cannot take oral medication, who require intravenous alimentation, have had prior surgical procedures affecting absorption, or have active peptic ulcer disease. * Nursing and/or pregnant females * Known or suspected hypersensitivity to any of the study drugs.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frame
overall survivalone year
progression free rate of first-line treatment with erlotinibafter 9 weeks of treatment

Secondary

MeasureTime frame
quality of life during the first-line therapyevery 3 weeks during first-line therapy
prognostic biologic indicatorsend of study
toxicityevery 3 weeks during treatment, and every 3 months thereafter
response rateat 9 and 18 weeks from treatment initiation
resource utilizationevery 6 weeks during first-line therapy
progression-free survivalone year

Countries

Canada, Italy

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026