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Cetuximab Before Surgery in Treating Patients With Aggressive Locally Advanced Skin Cancer

A Pilot Study of Neoadjuvant Cetuximab in Advanced Squamous Cell Carcinomas of Skin (SCCS)

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02324608
Enrollment
15
Registered
2014-12-24
Start date
2015-01-30
Completion date
2023-05-30
Last updated
2023-12-20

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

Conditions

Recurrent Skin Cancer, Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Skin

Brief summary

This pilot clinical trial studies the side effects and how well cetuximab before surgery works in treating patients with skin cancer that forms, grows, and spreads quickly and has spread from where it started to nearby tissue or lymph nodes. Monoclonal antibodies, such as cetuximab, may block tumor growth in different ways be targeting certain cells. Giving cetuximab before surgery may make the tumor smaller and reduce the amount of normal tissue that needs to be removed.

Detailed description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To assess the response rate of cetuximab by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria in patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of skin (SCCS). II. To assess whether neoadjuvant cetuximab given in this patient population is both safe and feasible. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To measure the progression free and overall survival of patients with advanced SCCS who receive neoadjuvant cetuximab. II. To determine the conversion to resectability of patients treated with neoadjuvant cetuximab and capture changes in reconstructive options rendered possible by neoadjuvant treatment. III. Analyze the relationship of known deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) mutations in tumor per the FoundationOneTM genomic profile, and correlate to clinical endpoints such as clinical benefit and conversion to resectability to discover potential markers of response and/or resistance. IV. Measure the downstream activation of signaling pathways without a known driver, including the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway. V. Determine if tumor shrinkage with cetuximab is associated with increased apoptosis as evidenced by activated caspase-3, in pre- and post- treatment tumor tissues. VI. Determine whether cetuximab results in increased antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity (ADCC) in post-, compared with pre-treatment tumor tissues. OUTLINE: Patients receive cetuximab intravenously (IV) over 60-120 minutes once weekly for 8 weeks. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up every 3 months for 2 years.

Interventions

BIOLOGICALcetuximab

Given IV

OTHERlaboratory biomarker analysis

Correlative studies

Sponsors

National Cancer Institute (NCI)
CollaboratorNIH
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
CollaboratorOTHER
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

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

Inclusion criteria

* Patients must have untreated or relapsed SCCS that is considered to be aggressive and locally advanced by the following criteria: tumors 2 cm or more, tumors invading deep tissues such as muscle, cartilage or bone; tumors showing perineural invasion, and/or tumors metastatic to loco-regional lymph nodes; patients may have had prior surgical interventions or been treated with investigational agents with residual or recurrent disease * Patients must give informed consent * Patients must agree to pre- and post-treatment biopsies * Patients must have an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status =\< 2 * Estimated life expectancy of at least 12 weeks * Negative pregnancy test

Exclusion criteria

* Second primary malignancy only if treatment would interfere with the patient's participation in this trial in the opinion of the treating physician; clear exceptions are 1) patient had a second primary malignancy but has been treated and disease free for at least 3 years, 2) in situ carcinoma (e.g. in situ carcinoma of the cervix) and, 3) additional skin cancers that have been definitively treated by surgery and/or radiation; patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia will be allowed if their blood counts are within acceptable hematologic parameters and if they are not currently requiring cytotoxic or biologic anticancer treatment (supportive treatment such as intravenous immunoglobulin \[IVIG\] is permitted) * Patients with distant organ metastases will not be included in this study * Serious concomitant systemic disorders (including active infections) that would compromise the safety of the patient or compromise the patient's ability to complete the study, at the discretion of the investigator * History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to cetuximab or other agents used in the study * Women who are pregnant; women of childbearing age must agree to undergo a pregnancy test prior to therapy and to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) prior to study entry, for the duration of study participation and for 6 months after; should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately * Serum calcium (ionized or adjusted for albumin) \< 8 mg/dl (1.75 mmol/L) or \> 12.5 mg/dl (\> 3.1 mmol/L) despite intervention to normalize levels * Magnesium \< 1.4 mg/dl (\< 0.4 mmol/L) or \> 3 mg/dl (\> 1.23 mmol/L) despite intervention to normalize levels * Potassium \< 3.5 mmol/L or \> 6 mmol/L despite intervention to normalize levels * Prior radiation therapy is not an exclusion however, patient must have documented progression at the radiation site

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Response Rate of Cetuximab by RECIST CriteriaUp to 2 yearsA one-sided Binomial exact test will be used.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Progression-free SurvivalUp to 2 yearsThe estimation of progression-free survival will be performed by the Kaplan-Meier product limit method. Descriptive statistics for all outcome measures will be provided. To evaluate the association between variables, either chi-square test (categorical vs. categorical) or two sample t-test (categorical vs. continuous) or correlation (continuous vs. continuous) will be used depending upon the types of variables in comparison.
Overall SurvivalUp to 2 yearsThe estimation of overall survival will be performed by the Kaplan-Meier product limit method. Descriptive statistics for all outcome measures will be provided. To evaluate the association between variables, either chi-square test (categorical vs. categorical) or two sample t-test (categorical vs. continuous) or correlation (continuous vs. continuous) will be used depending upon the types of variables in comparison.
Downstream Activation of Signaling Pathways Without a Known Driver, Including the EGFRpathwayUp to 2 yearsMeasure the downstream activation of signaling pathways without a known driver, including the EGFRpathway
Potential Markers of Response and/or Resistance to Cetuximab TherapyUp to 2 yearsAnalyze the relationship of known DNA mutations in tumor per the FoundationOneTM genomic profile, and correlate to clinical endpoints such as clinical benefit and conversion to resectability to discover potential markers of response and/or resistance to cetuximab therapy.

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Treatment (Cetuximab)
Patients receive cetuximab IV over 60-120 minutes once weekly for 8 weeks. cetuximab: Given IV laboratory biomarker analysis: Correlative studies
15
Total15

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicTreatment (Cetuximab)
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
0 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
12 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
3 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Hispanic or Latino
0 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Not Hispanic or Latino
15 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
15 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
4 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
11 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
8 / 15
other
Total, other adverse events
15 / 15
serious
Total, serious adverse events
2 / 15

Outcome results

Primary

Response Rate of Cetuximab by RECIST Criteria

A one-sided Binomial exact test will be used.

Time frame: Up to 2 years

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Treatment (Cetuximab)Response Rate of Cetuximab by RECIST Criteria15 Participants
Secondary

Downstream Activation of Signaling Pathways Without a Known Driver, Including the EGFRpathway

Measure the downstream activation of signaling pathways without a known driver, including the EGFRpathway

Time frame: Up to 2 years

Population: no data collected

Secondary

Overall Survival

The estimation of overall survival will be performed by the Kaplan-Meier product limit method. Descriptive statistics for all outcome measures will be provided. To evaluate the association between variables, either chi-square test (categorical vs. categorical) or two sample t-test (categorical vs. continuous) or correlation (continuous vs. continuous) will be used depending upon the types of variables in comparison.

Time frame: Up to 2 years

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Treatment (Cetuximab)Overall Survival8 Participants
Secondary

Potential Markers of Response and/or Resistance to Cetuximab Therapy

Analyze the relationship of known DNA mutations in tumor per the FoundationOneTM genomic profile, and correlate to clinical endpoints such as clinical benefit and conversion to resectability to discover potential markers of response and/or resistance to cetuximab therapy.

Time frame: Up to 2 years

Population: no data collected

Secondary

Progression-free Survival

The estimation of progression-free survival will be performed by the Kaplan-Meier product limit method. Descriptive statistics for all outcome measures will be provided. To evaluate the association between variables, either chi-square test (categorical vs. categorical) or two sample t-test (categorical vs. continuous) or correlation (continuous vs. continuous) will be used depending upon the types of variables in comparison.

Time frame: Up to 2 years

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Treatment (Cetuximab)Progression-free Survival4 Participants

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