Skip to content

Efficacy of Ginseng for Patients on Regorafenib

A Randomized Phase II Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy of Supportive Therapy With Ginseng for Patients on Treatment With Regorafenib

Status
Terminated
Phases
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02581059
Enrollment
10
Registered
2015-10-20
Start date
2016-04-30
Completion date
2018-06-22
Last updated
2024-06-26

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

Conditions

Colorectal Cancer, Palliative Medicine, Supportive Care

Keywords

Regorafenib, American Ginseng, Fatigue

Brief summary

This is a randomized, multi-center phase II study of ginseng in colorectal cancer patients treated with regorafenib to determine if ginseng will reduce fatigue in this patient population and improve adherence to regorafenib. Ninety (90) subjects will be enrolled and randomized using a 2:1 allocation, with 60 subjects enrolled in the regorafenib + ginseng group and 30 enrolled in the regorafenib + no ginseng group.

Detailed description

OUTLINE: This is a multi-center study. INVESTIGATIONAL TREATMENT: Regorafenib will be administered 160 mg orally once daily for the first 21 days of each 28-day cycle. Subjects that randomize to receive ginseng will take 1,000 mg orally twice daily every day for 4 weeks (2 cycles). Subjects that randomize to NOT receive ginseng will not be given ginseng. Subjects will be instructed to take regorafenib with a low-fat meal. Subjects will undergo fatigue assessments, using the Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory-Short Form (MFSI-SF) instrument and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS). Subjects will have a pill count cycle 2 day 1 (C2D1) and at the end of treatment visit. Subjects will have the re-staging scan (CT of chest/abdomen/pelvis) at the end of Cycle 2/ week 8 (±5). Adequate bone marrow, liver and renal function assessed by the following laboratory values obtained within 7 days prior to registration for protocol therapy: Hematopoietic: * Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) count \> 1,500/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin (Hgb) \> 9g/dL * Platelet count \> 100,000/mm\^3 Renal: * Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 × the upper limit of normal (ULN) Hepatic: * Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 × the upper limit of normal (ULN). * Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate amino-transferase (AST) ≤ 2.5 x ULN (≤ 5 × ULN for subjects with liver involvement of their cancer) * Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) limit ≤ 2.5 × ULN (≤ 5 × ULN for subjects with liver involvement of their cancer) Coagulation: * International normalized ratio (INR)/Partial thromboplastin time (PTT) ≤ 1.5 × ULN. NOTE: Subjects who are prophylactically treated with an agent such as warfarin or heparin will be allowed to participate if no prior evidence of underlying abnormality in coagulation parameters exists. Close monitoring of at least weekly evaluations will be performed until INR/PTT is stable, based on a measurement that is pre-dose as defined by the local standard of care. Warfarin does should not exceed 1 mg.

Interventions

DRUGRegorafenib

All subjects will receive regorafenib 160 mg orally once daily for the first 21 days of each 28-day cycle for 2 cycles.

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTGinseng

Subjects randomized to ginseng will receive 1,000 mg orally twice every day of each 28-day cycle for 2 cycles.

Sponsors

Bayer
CollaboratorINDUSTRY
Hoosier Cancer Research Network
CollaboratorOTHER
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
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

* Subjects must be able to understand and be willing to sign the written informed consent and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) authorization for release of personal health information. A signed informed consent form (ICF) must be appropriately obtained prior to the conduct of any trial-specific procedure. NOTE: HIPAA authorization may be included in the informed consent or obtained separately. * Age ≥ 18 years at the time of consent. * Life expectancy of at least 12 weeks (3 months) as determined by the treating physician. * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status of 0 or 1 within 28 days prior to registration. * Histological or pathologically confirmed stage IV adenocarcinoma of the colon. * Women of childbearing potential must have a negative serum pregnancy test performed within 7 days prior to the start of study drug. Post-menopausal women (defined as no menses for at least 1 year) and surgically sterilized women are not required to undergo a pregnancy test. * Subjects (men and women) of childbearing potential must agree to use adequate contraception beginning at the signing of the ICF until at least 2 months after the last dose of study drug. The definition of adequate contraception will be based on the judgment of the treating physician or a designated associate. NOTE: Examples of adequate contraception may include but are not limited to a combination of any two of the following: use of oral, injected or implanted hormonal methods of contraception; placement of an intrauterine device (IUD) or intrauterine system (IUS); barrier methods of contraception (condom or occlusive cap (diaphragm or cervical/vault caps) with spermicidal foam/gel/ film/cream/vaginal suppository); total abstinence; male/female sterilization * All subjects must have radiographically assessable disease per RECIST v1.1 obtained by imaging within 28 days prior to registration. * Must be able to swallow and retain oral medication. * Subject must be deemed a suitable candidate for regorafenib as per their treating physician.

Exclusion criteria

* Subject should not be receiving any agent for fatigue including steroids, megace or opioids. NOTE: Subjects who have a contrast-induced allergy are allowed to receive steroids for their scans. * Radiotherapy within 2 weeks prior to study registration. Subjects must have recovered from all therapy-related toxicities. * Prior treatment with regorafenib. * Previous assignment to treatment during this study. Subjects permanently withdrawn from study participation will not be allowed to re-enter study. * Congestive heart failure \> New York Heart Association (NYHA) class 2: unstable angina (angina symptoms at rest), new-onset angina (begun within the last 3 months), myocardial infarction less than 6 months before study registration; cardiac arrhythmias requiring anti-arrhythmic therapy (beta blockers or digoxin are permitted); uncontrolled hypertension (systolic blood pressure \> 150 mmHg or diastolic pressure \> 90 mmHg despite optimal medical management). * Evidence or history of bleeding diathesis or coagulopathy. * Any hemorrhage or bleeding event ≥ NCI CTCAE Grade 3 within 4 weeks prior to study registration. * Subjects with thrombotic, embolic, venous, or arterial events, such as cerebrovascular accident (including transient ischemic attacks), deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism within 6 months of study registration. * Previous or concurrent cancer that is distinct in primary site or histology from colorectal cancer within 3 years prior to randomization EXCEPT for curatively treated cervical cancer in situ, non-melanoma skin cancer and superficial bladder tumors \[Ta (Non-invasive tumor), Tis (Carcinoma in situ) and T1 (Tumor invades lamina propria)\]. * Subjects with pheochromocytoma. * Known history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection or current chronic or active hepatitis B or C infection requiring treatment with antiviral therapy. * Ongoing infection \> Grade 2 NCI-CTCAE v4.0. * Metastatic brain or meningeal tumors (symptomatic or asymptomatic). * Major surgical procedure or significant traumatic injury, as defined by the site investigator, within 28 days before study registration. * Renal failure requiring hemo- or peritoneal dialysis * Dehydration Grade \> 2 NCI CTCAE v4 within 7 days prior to registration. * Subjects with seizure disorder currently requiring medication. * Persistent proteinuria ≥ Grade 3 NCI CTCAE v4.0 as defined as \> 3.5 g/24 hours, measured by urine protein: creatinine ratio on a random urine sample. * Interstitial lung disease with ongoing signs and symptoms at the time of study registration. * Pleural effusion or ascites that causes respiratory compromise (≥ NCI CTCAE version 4.0 Grade 2 dyspnea). * History of organ allograft (including corneal transplant). * Known or suspected allergy or hypersensitivity to any of the study drugs, study drug classes, or excipients of the formulations given during the course of this trial. * Any malabsorption condition which, in the opinion of the treating physician, will affect the absorption of any of the agents used in this study. * Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding. * Any condition, which, in the site investigator's opinion, makes the subject unsuitable for trial participation. * Substance abuse, medical, psychological, or social conditions that may interfere with the subject's participation in the study or evaluation of the study results. * Treatment with any investigational agent within 28 days prior to registration.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Subject Fatigue Assessment--Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory-Short Form (MFSI-SF)From date of first dose until end of cycle 2 (8 weeks)MFSI-SF is a 30-item self-report instrument designed to measure general fatigue, physical fatigue, emotional fatigue, mental fatigue, and vigor--each scored on a 5-point Likert scale from 0 (not at all) to 4 (extremely). The total score is calculated by adding the general, physical, emotional, and mental subscale scores and subtracting the vigor subscale score. Thus, total scores can range from -24 to 96 where higher scores indicate more of the cancer-related fatigue (meaning higher scores represent worse fatigue). A minimally clinically important improvement (or worsening) in the MFSI-Short Form is for changes of more than 4.5 points. T-score value of 36 indicates the population mean with a standard deviation of 34.93.
Subject Fatigue Assessment--Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS)From date of first dose until end of cycle 2 (8 weeks)PROMIS is a set of person-centered measures that evaluates and monitors physical, mental, and social health in adults and children. Each of the total raw scores were translated into T-scores for each participant using scoring tables for converting the PROMIS short form. The T-score rescales the raw score into a standardized score with a mean of 50 and a standard deviation (SD) of 10. Therefore, a person with a T-score of 40 is one SD below the mean. A higher PROMIS T-score represents more of the concept being measured. For this instrument all questions were negatively worded (i.e., How fatigued were you on average?) therefore a higher T-score represents having more fatigue. Thus, a T-score of 60 is one SD

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Subject ComplianceCycle 1 From date of first dose until day 15Pill counts will be used to assess adherence to regorafenib and ginseng for subjects on each arm. Overall percentage reported.
Characterize Adverse Events (AE)From date of first dose until end of cycle 2 (8 weeks)Toxicity assessed using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v4.0 (CTCAE v4.0) criteria
Subject RetentionFrom date of first dose until end of cycle 2 (8 weeks)Retention will be determined by the proportion of subjects on each arm who complete the study.
Evaluate Response Rate (RR)From cycle 1 day 1 (C1D1) until death or up to 18 monthsthe number of subjects with confirmed partial response (PR) or complete response (CR) according to RECIST v.1.1, from the start of treatment until disease progression/recurrence
Number of Participants With Overall SurvivalFrom C1D1 until death or up to 18 monthsdate of randomization to date of death from any cause

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Regorafenib Only
Regorafenib will be administered 160 mg once daily for the first 21 days of each 28-day cycle for 2 cycles. Regorafenib: All subjects will receive regorafenib 160 mg orally once daily for the first 21 days of each 28-day cycle for 2 cycles.
4
Regorafenib + Ginseng
Regorafenib will be administered 160 mg once daily for the first 21 days of each 28-day cycle. Subjects will receive 1,000 mg ginseng orally twice daily every day for 4 weeks (2 cycles). Regorafenib: All subjects will receive regorafenib 160 mg orally once daily for the first 21 days of each 28-day cycle for 2 cycles. Ginseng: Subjects randomized to ginseng will receive 1,000 mg orally twice every day of each 28-day cycle for 2 cycles.
6
Total10

Withdrawals & dropouts

PeriodReasonFG000FG001
Follow upDeath13
Follow upPatient started new clinical trial10
Follow upscreen failure01
Follow upstudy terminated11
Study TreatmentAdverse Event21
Study TreatmentDeath11
Study TreatmentDisease Progression11
Study TreatmentPatient Withdrawal After Therapy Start01
Study TreatmentScreen Failure Before Therapy Start01

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicRegorafenib OnlyRegorafenib + GinsengTotal
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
2 Participants2 Participants4 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
2 Participants4 Participants6 Participants
Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) status
0
0 Participants1 Participants1 Participants
Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) status
1
4 Participants5 Participants9 Participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
Ethnicity
Hispanic
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
Ethnicity
Non-Hispanic
4 Participants6 Participants10 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
0 Participants2 Participants2 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 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
4 Participants4 Participants8 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
1 Participants3 Participants4 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
3 Participants3 Participants6 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
2 / 44 / 6
other
Total, other adverse events
4 / 45 / 6
serious
Total, serious adverse events
0 / 42 / 6

Outcome results

Primary

Subject Fatigue Assessment--Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory-Short Form (MFSI-SF)

MFSI-SF is a 30-item self-report instrument designed to measure general fatigue, physical fatigue, emotional fatigue, mental fatigue, and vigor--each scored on a 5-point Likert scale from 0 (not at all) to 4 (extremely). The total score is calculated by adding the general, physical, emotional, and mental subscale scores and subtracting the vigor subscale score. Thus, total scores can range from -24 to 96 where higher scores indicate more of the cancer-related fatigue (meaning higher scores represent worse fatigue). A minimally clinically important improvement (or worsening) in the MFSI-Short Form is for changes of more than 4.5 points. T-score value of 36 indicates the population mean with a standard deviation of 34.93.

Time frame: From date of first dose until end of cycle 2 (8 weeks)

Population: Data not collected for one in each group.

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Regorafenib OnlySubject Fatigue Assessment--Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory-Short Form (MFSI-SF)5.33 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 8.39
Regorafenib + GinsengSubject Fatigue Assessment--Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory-Short Form (MFSI-SF)8.50 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 23.84
Primary

Subject Fatigue Assessment--Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS)

PROMIS is a set of person-centered measures that evaluates and monitors physical, mental, and social health in adults and children. Each of the total raw scores were translated into T-scores for each participant using scoring tables for converting the PROMIS short form. The T-score rescales the raw score into a standardized score with a mean of 50 and a standard deviation (SD) of 10. Therefore, a person with a T-score of 40 is one SD below the mean. A higher PROMIS T-score represents more of the concept being measured. For this instrument all questions were negatively worded (i.e., How fatigued were you on average?) therefore a higher T-score represents having more fatigue. Thus, a T-score of 60 is one SD

Time frame: From date of first dose until end of cycle 2 (8 weeks)

Population: Data not collected from one participant in each group.

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Regorafenib OnlySubject Fatigue Assessment--Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS)18 T-ScoreStandard Deviation 6.24
Regorafenib + GinsengSubject Fatigue Assessment--Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS)22.75 T-ScoreStandard Deviation 11.64
Secondary

Characterize Adverse Events (AE)

Toxicity assessed using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v4.0 (CTCAE v4.0) criteria

Time frame: From date of first dose until end of cycle 2 (8 weeks)

ArmMeasureGroupValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Regorafenib OnlyCharacterize Adverse Events (AE)Acute Kidney Injury0 Participants
Regorafenib OnlyCharacterize Adverse Events (AE)ALANINE AMINOTRANSFERASE INCREASED0 Participants
Regorafenib OnlyCharacterize Adverse Events (AE)HEPATOBILIARY DISORDERS0 Participants
Regorafenib + GinsengCharacterize Adverse Events (AE)Acute Kidney Injury1 Participants
Regorafenib + GinsengCharacterize Adverse Events (AE)ALANINE AMINOTRANSFERASE INCREASED1 Participants
Regorafenib + GinsengCharacterize Adverse Events (AE)HEPATOBILIARY DISORDERS1 Participants
Secondary

Evaluate Response Rate (RR)

the number of subjects with confirmed partial response (PR) or complete response (CR) according to RECIST v.1.1, from the start of treatment until disease progression/recurrence

Time frame: From cycle 1 day 1 (C1D1) until death or up to 18 months

Population: Data not collected for this outcome from missing participants in each arm.

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Regorafenib OnlyEvaluate Response Rate (RR)0 Participants
Regorafenib + GinsengEvaluate Response Rate (RR)0 Participants
Secondary

Number of Participants With Overall Survival

date of randomization to date of death from any cause

Time frame: From C1D1 until death or up to 18 months

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Regorafenib OnlyNumber of Participants With Overall Survival2 Participants
Regorafenib + GinsengNumber of Participants With Overall Survival2 Participants
Secondary

Subject Compliance

Pill counts will be used to assess adherence to regorafenib and ginseng for subjects on each arm. Overall percentage reported.

Time frame: Cycle 2 From day 16 until day 22

Population: Data was not collected from missing participants in each group/arm.

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)
Regorafenib OnlySubject Compliance75 percentage of pills taken
Regorafenib + Ginseng Arm (Ginseng Compliance Only)Subject Compliance50 percentage of pills taken
Secondary

Subject Compliance

Pill counts will be used to assess adherence to regorafenib and ginseng for subjects on each arm. Overall percentage reported.

Time frame: Cycle 1 From day16 until day 22

Population: Data was not collected from missing participants in each group/arm.

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)
Regorafenib OnlySubject Compliance100 percentage of pills taken
Regorafenib + GinsengSubject Compliance75 percentage of pills taken
Regorafenib + Ginseng Arm (Ginseng Compliance Only)Subject Compliance100 percentage of pills taken
Secondary

Subject Compliance

Pill counts will be used to assess adherence to regorafenib and ginseng for subjects on each arm. Overall percentage reported.

Time frame: Cycle 2 From date of first dose until day 15

Population: Data was not collected from missing participants in each group/arm.

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Regorafenib OnlySubject Compliance75 percentage of pills taken
Regorafenib + GinsengSubject Compliance100 percentage of pills taken
Regorafenib + Ginseng Arm (Ginseng Compliance Only)Subject Compliance100 percentage of pills takenStandard Deviation 50
Secondary

Subject Compliance

Pill counts will be used to assess adherence to regorafenib and ginseng for subjects on each arm. Overall percentage reported.

Time frame: Cycle 1 From date of first dose until day 15

Population: Data not collected from missing participants in each group/arm.

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)
Regorafenib OnlySubject Compliance100 percentage of pills taken
Regorafenib + Ginseng Arm (Ginseng Compliance Only)Subject Compliance75 percentage of pills taken
Secondary

Subject Retention

Retention will be determined by the proportion of subjects on each arm who complete the study.

Time frame: From date of first dose until end of cycle 2 (8 weeks)

ArmMeasureGroupValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Regorafenib OnlySubject RetentionStarted4 Participants
Regorafenib OnlySubject RetentionCompleted (total retained number)0 Participants
Regorafenib + GinsengSubject RetentionStarted6 Participants
Regorafenib + GinsengSubject RetentionCompleted (total retained number)1 Participants

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