Skip to content

Diffuse Large B Cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in the Vulnerable/Frail Elderly. A Multicentric Randomized Phase II Trial

Diffuse Large B Cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in the Vulnerable/Frail Elderly. A Multicentric Randomized Phase II Trial With Emphasis on Geriatric Assessment and Quality of Life

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT00911183
Acronym
FRAIL-06
Enrollment
67
Registered
2009-06-01
Start date
2008-12-02
Completion date
2015-01-01
Last updated
2025-08-29

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

Conditions

Lymphoma

Keywords

contiguous stage II adult diffuse large cell lymphoma, noncontiguous stage II adult diffuse large cell lymphoma, stage III adult diffuse large cell lymphoma, stage IV adult diffuse large cell lymphoma

Brief summary

RATIONALE: Monoclonal antibodies, such as rituximab, can block cancer growth in different ways. Some block the ability of cancer cells to grow and spread. Others find cancer cells and help kill them or carry cancer-killing substances to them. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cyclophosphamide, vincristine sulfate, prednisone, and liposome-encapsulated doxorubicin citrate, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. It is not yet known whether rituximab and combination chemotherapy are more effective when given together with or without liposome-encapsulated doxorubicin citrate in treating older patients with diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. PURPOSE: This randomized phase II trial is studying the side effects of giving rituximab together with cyclophosphamide, vincristine sulfate, and prednisone with or without liposome-encapsulated doxorubicin citrate and to see how well it works in treating older patients with stage II, stage III, or stage IV diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Detailed description

OBJECTIVES: Primary * To assess the therapeutic efficacy of rituximab, cyclophosphamide, vincristine sulfate, and prednisone with vs without liposome-encapsulated doxorubicin citrate, in terms of complete remission rate at 6 months, in vulnerable or frail elderly patients with stage II, III, or IV diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. * To assess the safety of these regimens in these patients. Secondary * To evaluate the progression-free survival, event-free survival, and overall survival rates at 6 and 24 months in patients treated with these regimens. * To evaluate the overall response rate at 6 and 24 months in patients treated with these regimens. * To evaluate the duration of complete remission in patients treated with these regimens. * To evaluate the acute side effects (according to the International CTC scale) of these regimens in these patients. * To evaluate the geriatric condition and quality of life of patients treated with these regimens. OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study. Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms. * Arm I (R-COP regimen): Patients receive rituximab IV, cyclophosphamide IV, and vincristine sulfate IV on day 1. Patients also receive oral prednisone on days 1-5 and filgrastim subcutaneously (SC) on days 8-14 or pegfilgrastim SC on day 2. Treatment repeats every 21 days for at least 3 courses. * Arm II (R-COPY regimen): Patients receive rituximab, cyclophosphamide, vincristine sulfate, prednisone, and filgrastim or pegfilgrastim as in arm I. Patients also receive liposome-encapsulated doxorubicin citrate IV on day 1. Treatment repeats every 21 days for at least 3 courses. After 3 courses of R-COP or R-COPY, patients undergo evaluation. Patients with disease progression or a response of \< 25% are removed from the study. Patients with a response of ≥ 25% receive 3 more courses of R-COP or R-COPY, followed by rituximab IV alone on day 1 of courses 7 and 8 in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After the completion of chemotherapy, some patients may undergo radiotherapy. Patients complete quality of life and geriatric assessment questionnaires at baseline and periodically during study treatment. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed every 3 months for 1 year, every 6 months for 2 years.

Interventions

DRUGvincristine sulfate

Given IV

DRUGprednisone

Given orally

BIOLOGICALfilgrastim

Given subcutaneously

BIOLOGICALpegfilgrastim

Given subcutaneously

BIOLOGICALrituximab

Given IV

DRUGcyclophosphamide

Given IV

Sponsors

National Cancer Institute, France
CollaboratorOTHER_GOV
Institut Bergonié
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Intervention model description

randomized non-comparative phase II trial

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
70 Years to 120 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma * Stage II, III, or IV disease (according to the WHO classification), including all morphological and clinical variants * No Burkitt-like lymphoma (presence of small cells in the bone marrow biopsy allowed) * CD20+ disease * Has ≥ 1 measurable target lesion ≥ 1.1 cm (according to the International Workshop Criteria) * Poor physiological status, as defined by ≥ 1 of the following criteria: * WHO performance status 3 * Clinical evaluation and measurement of LVEF that would preclude doxorubicin administration (i.e., LVEF \< 50%) * Creatinine clearance \< 50 mL/min * Serum bilirubin \> 30 μmol/L * Severe comorbidity that would preclude the use of CHOP chemotherapy * Ineligible for standard R-CHOP therapy * No cerebral or meningeal involvement PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * WHO performance status 0-3 * ANC \> 750/mm\^3 * Platelet count \> 50,000/mm\^3 * LVEF \> 35% * Able to receive either R-COP or R-COPY therapy * No congestive heart failure, serious arrhythmia, or myocardial infarction within the past 6 months * No other malignancy within the past 5 years except for adequately treated basal cell carcinoma of the skin or curatively treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix * No active infection * No active viral hepatitis B or C by serology * No known HIV positivity * No hypersensitivity to rituximab, any of its excipients, or to murine proteins * No documented history of allergy to eggs or egg products * No psychological, familial, sociological, or geographical condition that would preclude compliance with study treatment or follow-up schedule PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * No prior therapy for this cancer * No prior anthracycline administration with a cumulative dose \> 240 mg/m² of doxorubicin hydrochloride or \> 400 mg/m² of epirubicin hydrochloride * More than 30 days since prior participation in another clinical trial involving investigational drugs * No other concurrent antineoplastic agents

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Number of Participants in Complete Remission 6 Months After Randomization6 months after randomizationComplete remission \[CR\] is defined according to Cheson criteria. CR requires the following: 1. Complete disappearance of all detectable clinical and radiographic evidence of disease and disappearance of all disease-related symptoms if present before therapy, and normalization of those biochemical abnormalities. 2. All lymph nodes and nodal masses must have regressed to normal size. Previously involved nodes that were 1.1 to 1.5 cm in their greatest transverse diameter before treatment must have decreased to ≤1 cm in their greatest transverse diameter after treatment, or by more than 75% in the sum of the products of the greatest diameters (SPD). 3. The spleen, if considered to be enlarged before therapy on the basis of a CT scan, must have regressed in size and must not be palpable on physical examination. 4. If the bone marrow was involved by lymphoma before treatment, the infiltrate must be cleared on repeat bone marrow aspirate and biopsy of the same site.
Number of Participants With Severe Toxicity6 months after randomizationSevere toxicity, defined as febrile neutropenia or toxic death. Febrile neutropenia is defined in the International CTC toxicity scale as fever of unknown origin without clinically or microbiologically documented infection: neutrophils \< 1.0 x 109/l and fever ≥ 38.5° C. Toxic death is defined as any death which occur during treatment (from day 1 of the first cycle of chemotherapy up to day 30 of the last cycle) and is not related to lymphoma.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Overall Survival Timefrom randomization, up to 5 yearsOS is defined as the delay between the date of randomization and the date of death
Progression-free Survival Timefrom randomization, up to 5 yearsDelay between the date of randomization and the date of progression or death. Progression is defined according to the Cheson criteria.

Countries

France

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Arm I (R-COP Regimen)
Patients receive rituximab IV, cyclophosphamide IV, and vincristine sulfate IV on day 1. Patients also receive oral prednisone on days 1-5 and filgrastim subcutaneously (SC) on days 8-14 or pegfilgrastim SC on day 2. Treatment repeats every 21 days for at least 3 courses. filgrastim: Given subcutaneously pegfilgrastim: Given subcutaneously rituximab: Given IV cyclophosphamide: Given IV prednisone: Given orally vincristine sulfate: Given IV
47
Arm II (R-COPY Regimen)
Patients receive rituximab, cyclophosphamide, vincristine sulfate, prednisone, and filgrastim or pegfilgrastim as in arm I. Patients also receive liposome-encapsulated doxorubicin citrate IV on day 1. Treatment repeats every 21 days for at least 3 courses. filgrastim: Given subcutaneously pegfilgrastim: Given subcutaneously rituximab: Given IV cyclophosphamide: Given IV liposome-encapsulated doxorubicin citrate: Given IV prednisone: Given orally vincristine sulfate: Given IV
20
Total67

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicArm II (R-COPY Regimen)TotalArm I (R-COP Regimen)
Age, Continuous81.1 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 4.1
82.4 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 4.2
82.8 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 4.2
Race and Ethnicity Not Collected0 Participants
Region of Enrollment
France
20 participants67 participants47 participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
10 Participants34 Participants24 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
10 Participants33 Participants23 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
27 / 4712 / 20
other
Total, other adverse events
0 / 00 / 0
serious
Total, serious adverse events
46 / 4720 / 20

Outcome results

Primary

Number of Participants in Complete Remission 6 Months After Randomization

Complete remission \[CR\] is defined according to Cheson criteria. CR requires the following: 1. Complete disappearance of all detectable clinical and radiographic evidence of disease and disappearance of all disease-related symptoms if present before therapy, and normalization of those biochemical abnormalities. 2. All lymph nodes and nodal masses must have regressed to normal size. Previously involved nodes that were 1.1 to 1.5 cm in their greatest transverse diameter before treatment must have decreased to ≤1 cm in their greatest transverse diameter after treatment, or by more than 75% in the sum of the products of the greatest diameters (SPD). 3. The spleen, if considered to be enlarged before therapy on the basis of a CT scan, must have regressed in size and must not be palpable on physical examination. 4. If the bone marrow was involved by lymphoma before treatment, the infiltrate must be cleared on repeat bone marrow aspirate and biopsy of the same site.

Time frame: 6 months after randomization

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Arm I (R-COP Regimen)Number of Participants in Complete Remission 6 Months After Randomization14 Participants
Arm II (R-COPY Regimen)Number of Participants in Complete Remission 6 Months After Randomization9 Participants
Primary

Number of Participants With Severe Toxicity

Severe toxicity, defined as febrile neutropenia or toxic death. Febrile neutropenia is defined in the International CTC toxicity scale as fever of unknown origin without clinically or microbiologically documented infection: neutrophils \< 1.0 x 109/l and fever ≥ 38.5° C. Toxic death is defined as any death which occur during treatment (from day 1 of the first cycle of chemotherapy up to day 30 of the last cycle) and is not related to lymphoma.

Time frame: 6 months after randomization

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Arm I (R-COP Regimen)Number of Participants With Severe Toxicity10 Participants
Arm II (R-COPY Regimen)Number of Participants With Severe Toxicity8 Participants
Secondary

Overall Survival Time

OS is defined as the delay between the date of randomization and the date of death

Time frame: from randomization, up to 5 years

ArmMeasureValue (MEDIAN)
Arm I (R-COP Regimen)Overall Survival Time20.1 months
Arm II (R-COPY Regimen)Overall Survival Time25.4 months
Secondary

Progression-free Survival Time

Delay between the date of randomization and the date of progression or death. Progression is defined according to the Cheson criteria.

Time frame: from randomization, up to 5 years

ArmMeasureValue (MEDIAN)
Arm I (R-COP Regimen)Progression-free Survival Time10.4 months
Arm II (R-COPY Regimen)Progression-free Survival Time18.0 months

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