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Neoadjuvant Cabozantinib in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced Kidney Cancer

A Phase 2 Study of Neoadjuvant Cabozantinib in Patients With Locally Advanced Non-Metastatic Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Status
Active, not recruiting
Phases
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04022343
Enrollment
22
Registered
2019-07-17
Start date
2019-08-06
Completion date
2026-12-09
Last updated
2026-05-05

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

Conditions

Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma, Renal Cell Carcinoma, Stage III Renal Cell Cancer AJCC v8

Brief summary

This phase II clinical trial studies how well cabozantinib works in treating patients with kidney cancer before surgery. Cabozantinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth.

Detailed description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: I. To assess the objective response rate (complete and partial responses), following the administration of cabozantinib for 12 weeks in patients with locally advanced biopsy-proven non-metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) prior to undergoing surgery. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To assess the safety, and tolerability of neoadjuvant cabozantinib. II. To determine the clinical outcome (disease-free survival \[DFS\], overall survival \[OS\]) of patients with non-metastatic ccRCC who treated with neoadjuvant cabozantinib. III. To evaluate the surgery related outcomes. IV. To evaluate correlative studies, including biomarkers, quality of life, and frailty/sarcopenia assessment of patients with non-metastatic ccRCC who treated with neoadjuvant cabozantinib. OUTLINE: Patients receive cabozantinib orally (PO) once daily (QD) for 12 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up every 3 months.

Interventions

DRUGCabozantinib

Given PO

Sponsors

Emory University
Lead SponsorOTHER
Exelixis
CollaboratorINDUSTRY
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
CollaboratorNIH
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
CollaboratorNIH

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 with renal mass consistent with a clinical stage ≥ T3Nx or TanyN+ or deemed unresectable by surgeon. * Renal cell carcinoma with clear cell component on pre-treatment biopsy of the primary tumor. * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status ≤ 1. * Patients must have adequate organ and marrow function, based upon meeting all of the following laboratory criteria within 14 days before first dose of study treatment: * Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1500/mm³ (≥ 1.5 GI/L) without granulocyte colony-stimulating factor support. * White blood cell count ≥ 2500/mm³ (≥ 2.5 GI/L). * Platelets ≥ 100,000/mm³ (≥ 100 GI/L) without transfusion. * Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL. * Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) ≤ 3 x upper limit of normal (ULN). ALP ≤ 5 x ULN with documented bone metastases. * Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x ULN (for subjects with Gilbert's disease ≤ 3 x ULN). * Serum albumin ≥ 2.8 g/dl. * Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 x ULN or calculated creatinine clearance ≥ 40 mL/min (≥ 0.67 mL/sec) using the Cockcroft-Gault equation: * Males: (140 - age) x weight (kg)/(serum creatinine \[mg/dL\] × 72) * Females: \[(140 - age) x weight (kg)/(serum creatinine \[mg/dL\] × 72)\] × 0.85 * Urine protein/creatinine ratio (UPCR) ≤ 1 mg/mg (≤ 113.2 mg/mmol). * No hormonal therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or any other systemic therapy for a malignancy, in the 5 years prior to current study enrollment. * Sexually active fertile subjects and their partners must agree to use medically accepted methods of contraception (eg, barrier methods, including male condom, female condom, or diaphragm with spermicidal gel) during the course of the study and for 4 months after the last dose of study treatment. * Female subjects of childbearing potential must not be pregnant at screening. Females of childbearing potential are defined as premenopausal females capable of becoming pregnant (ie, females who have had any evidence of menses in the past 12 months, with the exception of those who had prior hysterectomy). However, women who have been amenorrheic for 12 or more months are still considered to be of childbearing potential if the amenorrhea is possibly due to prior chemotherapy, antiestrogens, low body weight, ovarian suppression or other reasons. * Capable of understanding and complying with the protocol requirements and must have signed the informed consent document.

Exclusion criteria

* Evidence of metastatic disease on pre-treatment imaging. * The subject has received of any type of cytotoxic, biologic or other systemic anticancer therapy for kidney cancer. * The subject has received any other type of investigational agent within 28 days before the first dose of study treatment. * Known brain metastases or cranial epidural disease. * Concomitant anticoagulation with oral anticoagulants (eg, warfarin, direct thrombin and Factor Xa inhibitors) or platelet inhibitors (eg, clopidogrel). Allowed anticoagulants are the following: * Low-dose aspirin for cardioprotection (per local applicable guidelines) is permitted. * Low-dose low molecular weight heparins (LMWH) are permitted. * Anticoagulation with therapeutic doses of LMWH is allowed in subjects without known brain metastases who are on a stable dose of LMWH for at least 6 weeks before first dose of study treatment, and who have had no clinically significant hemorrhagic complications from the anticoagulation regimen or the tumor. * The subject has prothrombin time (PT)/international normalized ratio (INR) or partial thromboplastin time (PTT) test ≥ 1.3 × the laboratory ULN within 14 days before the first dose of study treatment. * The subject has uncontrolled, significant intercurrent or recent illness including, but not limited to, the following conditions: * Cardiovascular disorders: * Congestive heart failure New York Heart Association Class 3 or 4, unstable angina pectoris, serious cardiac arrhythmias. * Uncontrolled hypertension defined as sustained blood pressure (BP) \> 150 mm Hg systolic or \> 100 mm Hg diastolic despite optimal antihypertensive treatment. * Stroke (including transient ischemic attack \[TIA\]), myocardial infarction (MI), or other ischemic event, or thromboembolic event (eg, deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism) within 6 months before first dose. * Gastrointestinal (GI) disorders including those associated with a high risk of perforation or fistula formation: * The subject has evidence of tumor invading the GI tract, active peptic ulcer disease, active inflammatory bowel disease (eg, Crohn's disease), diverticulitis, cholecystitis, symptomatic cholangitis or appendicitis, acute pancreatitis, acute obstruction of the pancreatic duct or common bile duct, or gastric outlet obstruction. * Abdominal fistula, GI perforation, bowel obstruction, or intra-abdominal abscess within 6 months before first dose. Note: Complete healing of an intra-abdominal abscess must be confirmed before first dose. * Clinically significant hematemesis, or hemoptysis of \> 0.5 teaspoon (2.5 ml) of red blood, or other history of significant bleeding (eg, pulmonary hemorrhage) within 12 weeks before first dose. * Cavitating pulmonary lesion(s) or known endotracheal or endobronchial disease manifestation. * Other clinically significant disorders that would preclude safe study participation. * Serious non-healing wound/ulcer/bone fracture. * Uncompensated/symptomatic hypothyroidism. * Moderate to severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh B or C). * Major surgery (eg, GI surgery, removal or biopsy of brain metastasis) within 8 weeks before first dose of study treatment. Complete wound healing from major surgery must have occurred 1 month before first dose and from minor surgery (eg, simple excision, tooth extraction) at least 10 days before first dose. Subjects with clinically relevant ongoing complications from prior surgery are not eligible. * Prolongation of the QT corrected for HR using Fridericia's method (QTcF) interval defined as \> 500 msec per electrocardiogram (ECG) within 28 days before first dose of study treatment. Note: If a single ECG shows a QTcF with an absolute value \> 500 ms, two additional ECGs at intervals of approximately 3 min must be performed within 30 min after the initial ECG, and the average of these three consecutive results for QTcF will be used to determine eligibility. * Pregnant or lactating females. * Inability to swallow tablets. * Previously identified allergy or hypersensitivity to components of the study treatment formulations. * Diagnosis of another malignancy within 2 years before first dose of study treatment, except for superficial skin cancers, or localized, low grade tumors deemed cured and not treated with systemic therapy. Patients with Gleason 6 (3+3) prostate cancer with previous treatment or on active surveillance may also be allowed on protocol.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Objective Response Rate (ORR)At 12 weeks after cabozantinib doseObjective response rate will be evaluated using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) criteria. All tumor measurements must be recorded in centimeters. For target lesions, a complete response (CR) is defined as the disappearance of all target lesions. A partial response (PR) is defined as at least a 30% decrease in the sum of the longest diameter of target lesions, taking as reference the baseline sum longest diameter.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Disease-free Survival (DFS)From time of surgery to first tumor recurrence or death, assessed up to 3 yearsDisease-free survival will be defined as the interval between time of surgery and the first tumor recurrence or death. Patients will be censored at time of last follow-up. Disease-free survival will be estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method.
Overall Survival (OS)From time of surgery to death from any cause, assessed up to 3 yearsFor overall survival, death from any cause will be defined as the event. Patients will be censored at time of last follow-up. Overall survival will be estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method.
Quality of Life Assessment: Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Kidney Specific Index-19 (FKSI-19) QuestionnaireBaseline and weeks 6 and 12 after treatment initiationQuality of life will be studied using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Kidney Specific Index-19 (FKSI-19) questionnaire. The questionnaire consists of 19 statements that patients answer on a 0-4 scale ("Not at all" to "Very much"). Per the instrument's official scoring guidelines, items are then reverse scored as needed and summed to create a final score ranging from 0-76, where 76 indicates the best quality of life and 0 indicates the worst.
Frailty AssessmentBaseline and weeks 6 and 12 after treatment initiationFrailty assessment will be studied using the Fried Frailty score. Domains to be assessed include shrinking, weakness, exhaustion, low activity, and slow walking speed. Scored on a total scale of 0-25 (from 5 variables, each 0-5). 0 = not frail, 25 = most frail.
Sarcopenia AssessmentBaseline and week 12 after treatment initiationSarcopenia assessment will be done by using baseline and week 12 scans via SliceOmatic version 5.0 by TomoVision program. Cross-sectional skeletal muscle area (SMA) at the L3 vertebra will be segmented to calculate the Skeletal Muscle Index (SMI = SMA cm² / height m²). Sarcopenia is defined as an SMI at or below the 25th percentile of age- and sex-specific reference values from the Fintelmann et al. (2024) Framingham Heart Study cohort.

Countries

United States

Contacts

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORMehmet Asim Bilen, MD

Emory University

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Treatment (Cabozantinib)
Patients receive cabozantinib orally once daily for 12 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The assigned starting dose for cabozantinib is 60 mg/day. Two dose reduction levels of cabozantinib are permitted Cabozantinib: Given PO
17
Total17

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicTreatment (Cabozantinib)
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
0 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
4 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
13 Participants
Age, Continuous57 years
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Hispanic or Latino
0 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Not Hispanic or Latino
17 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
2 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
1 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
14 Participants
Region of Enrollment
United States
17 participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
3 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
14 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
3 / 17
other
Total, other adverse events
17 / 17
serious
Total, serious adverse events
4 / 17

Outcome results

Primary

Objective Response Rate (ORR)

Objective response rate will be evaluated using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) criteria. All tumor measurements must be recorded in centimeters. For target lesions, a complete response (CR) is defined as the disappearance of all target lesions. A partial response (PR) is defined as at least a 30% decrease in the sum of the longest diameter of target lesions, taking as reference the baseline sum longest diameter.

Time frame: At 12 weeks after cabozantinib dose

ArmMeasureCategoryValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Treatment (cabozantinib)Objective Response Rate (ORR)Partial Response6 Participants
Treatment (cabozantinib)Objective Response Rate (ORR)Stable Disease11 Participants
Secondary

Disease-free Survival (DFS)

Disease-free survival will be defined as the interval between time of surgery and the first tumor recurrence or death. Patients will be censored at time of last follow-up. Disease-free survival will be estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method.

Time frame: From time of surgery to first tumor recurrence or death, assessed up to 3 years

ArmMeasureGroupValue (NUMBER)
Treatment (cabozantinib)Disease-free Survival (DFS)12 month survival rate82.4 percentage of participants
Treatment (cabozantinib)Disease-free Survival (DFS)24 month survival rate76.5 percentage of participants
Secondary

Frailty Assessment

Frailty assessment will be studied using the Fried Frailty score. Domains to be assessed include shrinking, weakness, exhaustion, low activity, and slow walking speed. Scored on a total scale of 0-25 (from 5 variables, each 0-5). 0 = not frail, 25 = most frail.

Time frame: Baseline and weeks 6 and 12 after treatment initiation

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Treatment (cabozantinib)Frailty AssessmentWeek 61.82 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.47
Treatment (cabozantinib)Frailty AssessmentWeek 122.06 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.39
Treatment (cabozantinib)Frailty AssessmentBaseline1.18 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.33
Secondary

Overall Survival (OS)

For overall survival, death from any cause will be defined as the event. Patients will be censored at time of last follow-up. Overall survival will be estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method.

Time frame: From time of surgery to death from any cause, assessed up to 3 years

ArmMeasureGroupValue (NUMBER)
Treatment (cabozantinib)Overall Survival (OS)12 month survival rate94.1 percentage of participants
Treatment (cabozantinib)Overall Survival (OS)24 month survival rate88.2 percentage of participants
Secondary

Quality of Life Assessment: Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Kidney Specific Index-19 (FKSI-19) Questionnaire

Quality of life will be studied using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Kidney Specific Index-19 (FKSI-19) questionnaire. The questionnaire consists of 19 statements that patients answer on a 0-4 scale (Not at all to Very much). Per the instrument's official scoring guidelines, items are then reverse scored as needed and summed to create a final score ranging from 0-76, where 76 indicates the best quality of life and 0 indicates the worst.

Time frame: Baseline and weeks 6 and 12 after treatment initiation

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)
Treatment (cabozantinib)Quality of Life Assessment: Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Kidney Specific Index-19 (FKSI-19) QuestionnaireBaseline60 score on a scale
Treatment (cabozantinib)Quality of Life Assessment: Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Kidney Specific Index-19 (FKSI-19) QuestionnaireWeek 648.6 score on a scale
Treatment (cabozantinib)Quality of Life Assessment: Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Kidney Specific Index-19 (FKSI-19) QuestionnaireWeek 1248.5 score on a scale
Secondary

Quality of Life Assessment: Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Kidney Specific Index-19 (FKSI-19) Questionnaire

Quality of life will be studied using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Kidney Specific Index-19 (FKSI-19) questionnaire. The questionnaire consists of 19 statements such as I have a lack of energy and I have pain which are answered on a scale of 0-4, with 0 being Not at all and 4 being Very much. The scale is 0-76 (0 = worst QoL, 76 = best QoL).

Time frame: Baseline and weeks 6 and 12 after treatment initiation

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEDIAN)
Treatment (cabozantinib)Quality of Life Assessment: Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Kidney Specific Index-19 (FKSI-19) QuestionnaireBaseline64 score on a scale
Treatment (cabozantinib)Quality of Life Assessment: Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Kidney Specific Index-19 (FKSI-19) QuestionnaireWeek 651 score on a scale
Treatment (cabozantinib)Quality of Life Assessment: Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Kidney Specific Index-19 (FKSI-19) QuestionnaireWeek 1248 score on a scale
Secondary

Sarcopenia Assessment

Sarcopenia assessment will be done by using baseline and week 12 scans via SliceOmatic version 5.0 by TomoVision program. Cross-sectional skeletal muscle area (SMA) at the L3 vertebra will be segmented to calculate the Skeletal Muscle Index (SMI = SMA cm² / height m²). Sarcopenia is defined as an SMI at or below the 25th percentile of age- and sex-specific reference values from the Fintelmann et al. (2024) Framingham Heart Study cohort.

Time frame: Baseline and week 12 after treatment initiation

ArmMeasureGroupValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Treatment (cabozantinib)Sarcopenia AssessmentParticipants with Sarcopenia (baseline)9 Participants
Treatment (cabozantinib)Sarcopenia AssessmentParticipants with Sarcopenia (week12)9 Participants

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: May 6, 2026