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Palonosetron and Dexamethasone With or Without Dronabinol in Preventing Nausea and Vomiting in Patients Receiving Chemotherapy For Cancer

Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Palonosetron/Dexamethasone With or Without Dronabinol for the Prevention of Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting After Moderately Emetogenic Chemotherapy

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT00553059
Enrollment
62
Registered
2007-11-05
Start date
2008-05-31
Completion date
2014-08-31
Last updated
2020-10-09

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

Conditions

Chemotherapy-induced Nausea and Vomiting, Unspecified Adult Solid Tumor, Protocol Specific

Keywords

nausea and vomiting, unspecified adult solid tumor, Palonosetron, Dexamethasone

Brief summary

The goal of this clinical research study is to learn if adding dronabinol in combination with the standard of care (dexamethasone and palonosetron) can better help to control nausea and vomiting in patients receiving chemotherapy. The safety of the drug combinations will also be studied.

Detailed description

The Study Drugs: Dronabinol and palonosetron are both designed to help prevent nausea and vomiting in patients who are receiving chemotherapy. Dexamethasone is a corticosteroid that is similar to a natural hormone made by your body. Dexamethasone is often given to MM patients in combination with other chemotherapy to treat cancer. Study Groups: If you are found to be eligible to take part in this study, you will be randomly assigned (as in the flip of a coin) to 1 of 2 groups. * If you are in Group 1, you will take dronabinol, dexamethasone, and palonosetron. * If you are in Group 2, you will take a placebo, dexamethasone, and palonosetron. A placebo is a substance that looks like the study drug but has no active ingredients. You will have an equal chance of being assigned to either group. Neither you nor your doctor can choose the group you will be in. During the study, you and the study staff will not know which group you are in. However, if needed for your safety, the study staff will be able to find out which group you are in. After the last study participant completes their study therapy, you and the study staff will find out which group you were in. Study Drug Administration: On Day 1 (the day that you receive chemotherapy), you will take a dronabinol/placebo pill by mouth every 8 hours (if possible). If you cannot take the pill every 8 hours, you should try to space out the doses evenly. Your first dronabinol/placebo pill on Day 1 will be 30 minutes before chemotherapy. You will also receive dexamethasone and palonosetron by vein 30 minutes before you receive chemotherapy. On Days 2-6, you will take dronabinol/placebo 3 times a day. You should take each pill every 8 hours (if possible). If you cannot take them every 8 hours, you should try to space out the doses evenly. Study Diary: You will complete a study diary on Days 1-6. In this diary you will answer questions about nausea and vomiting. Study Visits: You will have a study visit on Day 8 and again sometime during Days 14-28. At both visits, you will be asked if you have experienced any side effects. You should return your study diary to the clinic at both visits. At the visit during Days 14-28, you will also have a physical exam. Length of Study: You will be on study for 30 days. You will be taken off study early if the nausea and vomiting do not improve or intolerable side effects occur. This is an investigational study. Dronabinol and palonosetron are both FDA approved and commercially available to prevent nausea and vomiting that may occur from chemotherapy. Dexamethasone is FDA approved and commercially available for the prevention of side effects related to chemotherapy. The combination of these drugs to prevent nausea and vomiting is investigational. Up to 200 patients will take part in this multicenter study. Up to 200 will be enrolled at M. D. Anderson.

Interventions

DRUGdexamethasone

10 mg IV 30 minutes prior to administration of chemotherapy

DRUGdronabinol

5 mg tablet by mouth three times a day beginning 30 minutes before chemotherapy

0.25 mg IV 30 minutes prior to administration of chemotherapy

OTHERplacebo

1 tablet by mouth three times a day beginning 30 minutes before chemotherapy

Sponsors

National Cancer Institute (NCI)
CollaboratorNIH
Solvay Pharmaceuticals
CollaboratorINDUSTRY
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator)

Eligibility

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

Inclusion criteria

1. Histologically or cytologically documented solid tumor 2. Receiving moderately emetogenic chemotherapy for the first time: Patients may be chemotherapy naive, or patients may have previously received a mildly emetogenic agent (such as a taxane) if no nausea/vomiting was experienced with that chemotherapy 3. Scheduled to receive cyclophosphamide \</= 1500 mg/m\^2 IV and/or doxorubicin \>/= 40 mg/m\^2 IV given as single doses on Day 1. Patients on combination regimens with these agents are eligible 4. Age \>/= 18 years 5. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status 0-2 6. Adequate organ reserve as follows: 1) Hematologic - white blood cell count (WBC) \>/= 3000/microL, AGC \>/= 1500/microL, platelet \>/= 100,000/microL; 2) Renal - Creatinine \</= 1.5 times upper limit of normal; 3) Hepatic - Bilirubin and transaminases \</= 2.5 times upper limit of normal 7. The effects of the three-drug regimen on the developing human fetus are unknown. For this reason, women of childbearing potential and men must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; or abstinence) for the duration of study participation. Should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately. 8. Negative qualitative B-human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) (pregnancy test) 9. Signed informed consent

Exclusion criteria

1. Scheduled to receive highly emetogenic chemotherapy (Hesketh Level 5 - such as cisplatin, streptozotocin, dacarbazine, carmustine, hexamethylmelamine, mechlorethamine, procarbazine) during the study period 2. Scheduled to receive moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (Hesketh Level 3-4) after Day 1 of the study period 3. Experienced nausea and/or vomiting with prior administration of chemotherapy 4. Prior moderately or highly emetogenic chemotherapy: Patients may have previously received a mildly emetogenic agent (such as a taxane) if no nausea/vomiting was experienced with that chemotherapy 5. Scheduled to receive cranial, abdominal, or pelvic radiation therapy during the study period 6. Treatment with any investigational agent within 30 days of randomization 7. Scheduled to receive treatment during the study period with other potential or known antiemetic agents. Chronically used benzodiazepines may be continued as a single nightly dose for sleep. 8. Scheduled to receive corticosteroid treatment other than the study drug dose during the study period 9. Uncontrolled primary or metastatic CNS tumor (including those with uncontrolled seizures) 10. Other physical causes for nausea or vomiting (such as bowel obstruction) not related to chemotherapy administration 11. Recent history of unexplained nausea or vomiting or history of frequent nausea or vomiting 12. Active bacterial or fungal infection for which administration of a corticosteroid would be contraindicated 13. Hypersensitivity to any of the study agents 14. Sensitivity to sesame oil 15. Planned simultaneous administration of any other investigational agents 16. Pregnant or nursing women 17. Previous poor tolerance of cannabinoids 18. Habitual cannabinoid use or unwillingness to avoid the use of marijuana during the study period 19. Previous use of dronabinol or nabilone

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Number of Participants With Total Protection in the Acute, Delayed and Overall Periods5 Days (first 5 days of the first cycle of chemotherapy)Total protection is defined as no vomiting, no rescue therapy, and no nausea as indicated by responses to the acute (0-24 hour), delayed (24-120 hour), and overall (0-120 hour) periods as indicated by responses to the Daily Assessment of Nausea and Vomiting questionnaire. Data to be recorded in the study diary during the 5-day study period. The assessment measures in detail the occurrence, duration, and severity of post-chemotherapy nausea and emesis using a 10-point Likert-type scale ranging from 0 (none) to 10 (as bad as it could be) if nausea or vomiting is present.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Number of Participants With Complete Response for the Acute, Delayed, and Overall PeriodsUp to 5 days (first 5 days following first cycle of chemotherapy)Complete response is defined as vomiting episodes with rescue medication evaluated for the acute (0-24 hour), delayed (24-120 hour), and overall (0-120 hour) periods as indicated by responses to the Daily Assessment of Nausea and Vomiting questionnaire. The assessment measures in detail the occurrence, duration, and severity of post-chemotherapy nausea and emesis using a 10-point Likert-type scale ranging from 0 (none) to 10 (as bad as it could be) if nausea or vomiting is present.
Number of Participants With Vomiting for the Acute, Delayed and Overall Periods5 Days (first 5 days of the first cycle of chemotherapy)Number of Participants with Vomiting Acute, Delayed and Overall. Evaluated for the acute (0-24 hour), delayed (24-120 hour), and overall (0-120 hour) periods as indicated by responses to the Daily Assessment of Nausea and Vomiting questionnaire. The assessment measures in detail the occurrence, duration, and severity of post-chemotherapy nausea and emesis using a 10-point Likert-type scale ranging from 0 (none) to 10 (as bad as it could be) if nausea or vomiting is present.
Number of Participants With Complete Protection for the Acute, Delayed, and Overall PeriodsUp to 5 days (first 5 days following first cycle of chemotherapy)Complete Protection is no vomiting, no rescue therapy, and no nausea evaluated for the acute (0-24 hour), delayed (24-120 hour), and overall (0-120 hour) periods as indicated by responses to the Daily Assessment of Nausea and Vomiting questionnaire. The assessment measures in detail the occurrence, duration, and severity of post-chemotherapy nausea and emesis using a 10-point Likert-type scale ranging from 0 (none) to 10 (as bad as it could be) if nausea or vomiting is present.
Number of Participants With Nausea and Vomiting for the Acute, Delayed and Overall Periods5 Days (first 5 days of the first cycle of chemotherapy)Number of Participants With Nausea and Vomiting for the Acute, Delayed and Overall Periods. Evaluated for the acute (0-24 hour), delayed (24-120 hour), and overall (0-120 hour) periods as indicated by responses to the Daily Assessment of Nausea and Vomiting questionnaire. The assessment measures in detail the occurrence, duration, and severity of post-chemotherapy nausea and emesis using a 10-point Likert-type scale ranging from 0 (none) to 10 (as bad as it could be) if nausea or vomiting is present.
Number of Participants Received Rescue Medication in the Acute, Delayed and Overall Periods5 Days (first 5 days of the first cycle of chemotherapy)The assessment measures in detail the occurrence, duration, and severity of post-chemotherapy nausea and emesis using a 10-point Likert-type scale ranging from 0 (none) to 10 (as bad as it could be) if nausea or vomiting is present. The first section asks the patient to record presence and severity of nausea during the last 24 hours. The second section asks the patient to record vomiting episodes during the last 24 hours. The third section asks if the patient took medication for nausea or vomiting during the last 24 hours and asks how useful the treatment for nausea or vomiting was. The fourth section screens for toxicity by asking about side effects and problems experienced during the last 24 hours. Use of rescue antiemetic medication and adverse events also assessed and documented.
Number of Participants With Nausea for the Acute, Delayed and Overall Periods5 Days (first 5 days of the first cycle of chemotherapy)Number of Participants with Nausea for the Acute, Delayed and Overall Periods. Evaluated for the acute (0-24 hour), delayed (24-120 hour), and overall (0-120 hour) periods as indicated by responses to the Daily Assessment of Nausea and Vomiting questionnaire. The assessment measures in detail the occurrence, duration, and severity of post-chemotherapy nausea and emesis using a 10-point Likert-type scale ranging from 0 (none) to 10 (as bad as it could be) if nausea or vomiting is present.

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Recruitment details

Recruitment Period: May 13, 2008 to October 26, 2011. Recruitment done in various medical clinics.

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Dronabinol
Dronabinol 1 capsule three times per day for 5 days
31
Placebo
Placebo 1 capsule three times per day for 5 days
31
Total62

Withdrawals & dropouts

PeriodReasonFG000FG001
Overall StudyDeemed ineligible11
Overall StudyDrug supply not available01

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicDronabinolPlaceboTotal
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
13 Participants12 Participants25 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
18 Participants19 Participants37 Participants
Age, Continuous59 years57 years58 years
Daily Assessment of Nausea and Vomiting30 Participants29 Participants59 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Hispanic or Latino
1 Participants1 Participants2 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Not Hispanic or Latino
30 Participants30 Participants60 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
6 Participants8 Participants14 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants1 Participants1 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
25 Participants22 Participants47 Participants
Region of Enrollment
United States
31 participants31 participants62 participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
31 Participants30 Participants61 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
0 Participants1 Participants1 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
0 / 300 / 29
other
Total, other adverse events
26 / 3025 / 29
serious
Total, serious adverse events
1 / 301 / 29

Outcome results

Primary

Number of Participants With Total Protection in the Acute, Delayed and Overall Periods

Total protection is defined as no vomiting, no rescue therapy, and no nausea as indicated by responses to the acute (0-24 hour), delayed (24-120 hour), and overall (0-120 hour) periods as indicated by responses to the Daily Assessment of Nausea and Vomiting questionnaire. Data to be recorded in the study diary during the 5-day study period. The assessment measures in detail the occurrence, duration, and severity of post-chemotherapy nausea and emesis using a 10-point Likert-type scale ranging from 0 (none) to 10 (as bad as it could be) if nausea or vomiting is present.

Time frame: 5 Days (first 5 days of the first cycle of chemotherapy)

ArmMeasureGroupValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
DronabinolNumber of Participants With Total Protection in the Acute, Delayed and Overall PeriodsAcute22 Participants
DronabinolNumber of Participants With Total Protection in the Acute, Delayed and Overall PeriodsDelayed11 Participants
DronabinolNumber of Participants With Total Protection in the Acute, Delayed and Overall PeriodsOverall11 Participants
PlaceboNumber of Participants With Total Protection in the Acute, Delayed and Overall PeriodsAcute14 Participants
PlaceboNumber of Participants With Total Protection in the Acute, Delayed and Overall PeriodsDelayed5 Participants
PlaceboNumber of Participants With Total Protection in the Acute, Delayed and Overall PeriodsOverall5 Participants
Secondary

Number of Participants Received Rescue Medication in the Acute, Delayed and Overall Periods

The assessment measures in detail the occurrence, duration, and severity of post-chemotherapy nausea and emesis using a 10-point Likert-type scale ranging from 0 (none) to 10 (as bad as it could be) if nausea or vomiting is present. The first section asks the patient to record presence and severity of nausea during the last 24 hours. The second section asks the patient to record vomiting episodes during the last 24 hours. The third section asks if the patient took medication for nausea or vomiting during the last 24 hours and asks how useful the treatment for nausea or vomiting was. The fourth section screens for toxicity by asking about side effects and problems experienced during the last 24 hours. Use of rescue antiemetic medication and adverse events also assessed and documented.

Time frame: 5 Days (first 5 days of the first cycle of chemotherapy)

ArmMeasureGroupValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
DronabinolNumber of Participants Received Rescue Medication in the Acute, Delayed and Overall PeriodsAcute3 Participants
DronabinolNumber of Participants Received Rescue Medication in the Acute, Delayed and Overall PeriodsDelayed11 Participants
DronabinolNumber of Participants Received Rescue Medication in the Acute, Delayed and Overall PeriodsResponse10 Participants
PlaceboNumber of Participants Received Rescue Medication in the Acute, Delayed and Overall PeriodsAcute5 Participants
PlaceboNumber of Participants Received Rescue Medication in the Acute, Delayed and Overall PeriodsDelayed15 Participants
PlaceboNumber of Participants Received Rescue Medication in the Acute, Delayed and Overall PeriodsResponse12 Participants
Secondary

Number of Participants With Complete Protection for the Acute, Delayed, and Overall Periods

Complete Protection is no vomiting, no rescue therapy, and no nausea evaluated for the acute (0-24 hour), delayed (24-120 hour), and overall (0-120 hour) periods as indicated by responses to the Daily Assessment of Nausea and Vomiting questionnaire. The assessment measures in detail the occurrence, duration, and severity of post-chemotherapy nausea and emesis using a 10-point Likert-type scale ranging from 0 (none) to 10 (as bad as it could be) if nausea or vomiting is present.

Time frame: Up to 5 days (first 5 days following first cycle of chemotherapy)

ArmMeasureGroupValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
DronabinolNumber of Participants With Complete Protection for the Acute, Delayed, and Overall PeriodsAcute22 Participants
DronabinolNumber of Participants With Complete Protection for the Acute, Delayed, and Overall PeriodsDelayed14 Participants
DronabinolNumber of Participants With Complete Protection for the Acute, Delayed, and Overall PeriodsOverall14 Participants
PlaceboNumber of Participants With Complete Protection for the Acute, Delayed, and Overall PeriodsAcute18 Participants
PlaceboNumber of Participants With Complete Protection for the Acute, Delayed, and Overall PeriodsDelayed10 Participants
PlaceboNumber of Participants With Complete Protection for the Acute, Delayed, and Overall PeriodsOverall9 Participants
Secondary

Number of Participants With Complete Response for the Acute, Delayed, and Overall Periods

Complete response is defined as vomiting episodes with rescue medication evaluated for the acute (0-24 hour), delayed (24-120 hour), and overall (0-120 hour) periods as indicated by responses to the Daily Assessment of Nausea and Vomiting questionnaire. The assessment measures in detail the occurrence, duration, and severity of post-chemotherapy nausea and emesis using a 10-point Likert-type scale ranging from 0 (none) to 10 (as bad as it could be) if nausea or vomiting is present.

Time frame: Up to 5 days (first 5 days following first cycle of chemotherapy)

ArmMeasureGroupValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
DronabinolNumber of Participants With Complete Response for the Acute, Delayed, and Overall PeriodsAcute22 Participants
DronabinolNumber of Participants With Complete Response for the Acute, Delayed, and Overall PeriodsDelayed14 Participants
DronabinolNumber of Participants With Complete Response for the Acute, Delayed, and Overall PeriodsOverall15 Participants
PlaceboNumber of Participants With Complete Response for the Acute, Delayed, and Overall PeriodsAcute19 Participants
PlaceboNumber of Participants With Complete Response for the Acute, Delayed, and Overall PeriodsDelayed13 Participants
PlaceboNumber of Participants With Complete Response for the Acute, Delayed, and Overall PeriodsOverall12 Participants
Secondary

Number of Participants With Nausea and Vomiting for the Acute, Delayed and Overall Periods

Number of Participants With Nausea and Vomiting for the Acute, Delayed and Overall Periods. Evaluated for the acute (0-24 hour), delayed (24-120 hour), and overall (0-120 hour) periods as indicated by responses to the Daily Assessment of Nausea and Vomiting questionnaire. The assessment measures in detail the occurrence, duration, and severity of post-chemotherapy nausea and emesis using a 10-point Likert-type scale ranging from 0 (none) to 10 (as bad as it could be) if nausea or vomiting is present.

Time frame: 5 Days (first 5 days of the first cycle of chemotherapy)

ArmMeasureGroupValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
DronabinolNumber of Participants With Nausea and Vomiting for the Acute, Delayed and Overall PeriodsAcute4 Participants
DronabinolNumber of Participants With Nausea and Vomiting for the Acute, Delayed and Overall PeriodsDelayed7 Participants
DronabinolNumber of Participants With Nausea and Vomiting for the Acute, Delayed and Overall PeriodsOverall15 Participants
PlaceboNumber of Participants With Nausea and Vomiting for the Acute, Delayed and Overall PeriodsAcute2 Participants
PlaceboNumber of Participants With Nausea and Vomiting for the Acute, Delayed and Overall PeriodsDelayed8 Participants
PlaceboNumber of Participants With Nausea and Vomiting for the Acute, Delayed and Overall PeriodsOverall10 Participants
Secondary

Number of Participants With Nausea for the Acute, Delayed and Overall Periods

Number of Participants with Nausea for the Acute, Delayed and Overall Periods. Evaluated for the acute (0-24 hour), delayed (24-120 hour), and overall (0-120 hour) periods as indicated by responses to the Daily Assessment of Nausea and Vomiting questionnaire. The assessment measures in detail the occurrence, duration, and severity of post-chemotherapy nausea and emesis using a 10-point Likert-type scale ranging from 0 (none) to 10 (as bad as it could be) if nausea or vomiting is present.

Time frame: 5 Days (first 5 days of the first cycle of chemotherapy)

ArmMeasureGroupValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
DronabinolNumber of Participants With Nausea for the Acute, Delayed and Overall PeriodsAcute8 Participants
DronabinolNumber of Participants With Nausea for the Acute, Delayed and Overall PeriodsDelayed19 Participants
DronabinolNumber of Participants With Nausea for the Acute, Delayed and Overall PeriodsOverall11 Participants
PlaceboNumber of Participants With Nausea for the Acute, Delayed and Overall PeriodsAcute15 Participants
PlaceboNumber of Participants With Nausea for the Acute, Delayed and Overall PeriodsDelayed23 Participants
PlaceboNumber of Participants With Nausea for the Acute, Delayed and Overall PeriodsOverall5 Participants
Secondary

Number of Participants With Vomiting for the Acute, Delayed and Overall Periods

Number of Participants with Vomiting Acute, Delayed and Overall. Evaluated for the acute (0-24 hour), delayed (24-120 hour), and overall (0-120 hour) periods as indicated by responses to the Daily Assessment of Nausea and Vomiting questionnaire. The assessment measures in detail the occurrence, duration, and severity of post-chemotherapy nausea and emesis using a 10-point Likert-type scale ranging from 0 (none) to 10 (as bad as it could be) if nausea or vomiting is present.

Time frame: 5 Days (first 5 days of the first cycle of chemotherapy)

ArmMeasureGroupValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
DronabinolNumber of Participants With Vomiting for the Acute, Delayed and Overall PeriodsAcute6 Participants
DronabinolNumber of Participants With Vomiting for the Acute, Delayed and Overall PeriodsDelayed10 Participants
DronabinolNumber of Participants With Vomiting for the Acute, Delayed and Overall PeriodsOverall19 Participants
PlaceboNumber of Participants With Vomiting for the Acute, Delayed and Overall PeriodsAcute3 Participants
PlaceboNumber of Participants With Vomiting for the Acute, Delayed and Overall PeriodsDelayed9 Participants
PlaceboNumber of Participants With Vomiting for the Acute, Delayed and Overall PeriodsOverall19 Participants

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