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Neoadjuvant Upper Tract Invasive Cancer Trial (NAUTICAL)

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Upper Tract Urothelial Cancer: A Multicentre, Feasibility Pilot Trial

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04574960
Acronym
NAUTICAL
Enrollment
14
Registered
2020-10-05
Start date
2021-02-08
Completion date
2027-12-31
Last updated
2025-07-20

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

Conditions

Bladder Cancer, Bladder Urothelial Carcinoma

Keywords

Upper tract urothelial carcinoma, UTUC

Brief summary

Upper tract urothelial cancer (UTUC) is cancer in the lining of the kidney or ureter (the tube that drains the kidney). This type of cancer is rare and as a result, there are only a few studies that have looked at it. Standard of care for UTUC would be surgery followed by chemotherapy (adjuvant chemotherapy). However, we know from studies that have looked at cancer of the lining of the bladder, which is a similar cancer in many ways, that treating people with chemotherapy before surgery (neoadjuvant chemotherapy) can lead to longer survival compared to the standard of care. There are no studies to show this in UTUC. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is thought to help improve survival by treating any cancer that may have spread from the original tumour but that is not visible yet on scans. This study would be the first clinical trial in Canada to evaluate the use of chemotherapy before surgery in this disease setting. Since UTUC is rare, the purpose of this study is to determine if it is possible to enrol enough patients to a trial looking at the use of chemotherapy before surgery.

Interventions

DRUGGemcitabine

Gemcitabine 1000 mg/m\^2, IV infusion on days 1 and 8 of each 3-week cycle

DRUGCisplatin

Cisplatin 70 mg/m\^2, IV infusion on day 1 of each 3-week cycle

DRUGCarboplatin

Carboplatin AUC 5-6 calculated using the Calvert formula on day 1 of each cycle

Sponsors

Bladder Cancer Canada
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
University Health Network, Toronto
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

* Newly diagnosed radiographically visible (CT or MRI) cT1-4 N0 M0 with positive selective urinary cytology, positive bladder urinary cytology, or endoscopic biopsy for high grade urothelial cell carcinoma * Age ≥18 years of age * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score 0-1 * Medically appropriate candidate for radical nephroureterectomy or ureterectomy as per participating site attending urologic oncologist * Medically appropriate candidate for cisplatin-based chemotherapy as per participating site attending medical oncologist * Adequate organ system function defined as follows: absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1500/mm3, platelets ≥ 100,00/mm3, hemoglobin ≥ 90 g/L, ALT and AST \< 2.5 x upper limit of normal, electrolytes (Na, K, Mg, Ca): within normal limits, GFR ≥ 60 mL/min Patients who are randomized to the adjuvant chemotherapy will be reassessed for suitability to receive adjuvant chemotherapy after definitive surgery (nephroureterectomy or ureterectomy) based on the following criteria: * pT2-4 N0-3 M0 or pT any N1-3 M0 with predominant urothelial component * ECOG score 0-2 * Medically appropriate candidate for platin-based chemotherapy as per participating site attending medical oncologist * Adequate organ system function defined as follows: absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1500/mm3, platelets ≥ 100,00/mm3, hemoglobin ≥ 90 g/L, ALT and AST \< 2.5 x upper limit of normal, electrolytes (Na, K, Mg, Ca): within normal limits, GFR ≥ 30 mL/min

Exclusion criteria

* Metastatic disease * Radiographically visible nodal disease * Concurrent muscle-invasive bladder cancer (non-muscle invasive bladder cancer is acceptable) * Solitary kidney * Other cancer diagnosis or systemic chemotherapy use within 2 years of study enrollment (prior bladder cancer and intravesical therapy allowed) * Concomitant diseases that are a formal exclusion to cisplatin chemotherapy (deafness, ≥ grade II neuropathy, serious active infection) * Concomitant use of any other investigational drugs * Pregnancy or breast feeding (you must remain on contraception, not father a child or donate sperm while receiving gemcitabine/cisplatin and for 6 months following the last dose)

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Feasibility of enrolling cT1-4N0 M0 UTUC patients in a randomized trial of neoadjuvant chemotherapy versus standard of care by assessing pilot trial recruitment rates24 months
Disease-free survival (DFS)36 monthsDFS is defined as the time from randomization to development of intravesical recurrence, contralateral upper tract recurrence or distant metastasis
Rate of complete pathologic response36 monthsComplete pathologic response is defined as pT0 N0

Secondary

MeasureTime frame
Site-specific enrolment rate24 months
Number of patients approached per site per month24 months
Number of patients randomized per site per month24 months

Countries

Canada

Contacts

Primary ContactEmily Hickey
emily.hickey@uhn.ca(416) 270-5395

Outcome results

None listed

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