Erlotinib, Gemcitabine, and Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 1969-12-31
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of erlotinib when given together with gemcitabine and radiation therapy in treating patients with locally advanced unresectable pancreatic cancer. Erlotinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking the enzymes necessary for their growth. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as gemcitabine, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Combining erlotinib with gemcitabine may make the tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy and may kill more tumor cells.

• Phase: Phase 1
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: National Cancer Institute (NCI)
• Treatments: Erlotinib Hydrochloride; Gemcitabine

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the pancreas

• Locally advanced, unresectable disease, defined by all of the following:

• Obvious encasement of the celiac, hepatic, or superior mesenteric artery

• Encasement of the portal or superior mesenteric vein not amenable to surgical resection

• Extrapancreatic extension with or without regional lymph node involvement

• No evidence of distant metastatic disease by staging laparoscopy*

• Locally recurrent disease after prior curative surgery allowed provided the following are true:

• No prior chemotherapy or radiotherapy

• No evidence of distant metastatic disease by staging laparoscopy*

• No islet cell pancreatic cancer or lymphoma or sarcoma of the pancreas

• Measurable or evaluable disease

• Primary pancreatic tumor is considered evaluable and not measurable disease

• Lymph node mass considered measurable disease

• No known brain metastases

• Performance status - ECOG 0-2

• More than 12 weeks

• WBC ≥ 3,000/mm^3

• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm^3

• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3

• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL

• AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal

• Creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL

• Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min

• No symptomatic congestive heart failure

• No unstable angina pectoris

• No cardiac arrhythmia

• No abnormalities of the cornea based on history (e.g., dry eye syndrome or Sjögren's syndrome)

• No congenital abnormality (e.g., Fuch's dystrophy)

• No abnormal slit-lamp examination using a vital dye (e.g., fluorescein or Bengal-Rose)

• No abnormal corneal sensitivity test (Schirmer test or similar tear production test)

• No Crohn's disease or inflammatory bowel disease that would preclude undergoing external beam radiotherapy

• Able to tolerate oral medication

• No requirement for IV alimentation

• Not pregnant or nursing

• Negative pregnancy test

• Fertile patients must use effective contraception

• No ongoing or active infection

• No other concurrent uncontrolled illness

• No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance

• See Disease Characteristics

• No prior gemcitabine

• See Disease Characteristics

• See Disease Characteristics

• No prior epidermal growth factor receptor-targeting therapy

• No prior therapy for pancreatic cancer (except surgery)

• No concurrent commercial or other investigational agents or therapies intended to treat the malignancy

• No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients