A phase II study of up-front red blood cell transfusion before chemotherapy followed by maintenance Erythropoetin-alpha subcutaneous support during chemotherapy of anaemic breast-, colorectal- and ovarian cancer patients

ISRCTN ISRCTN81146641
DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN81146641
Secondary identifying numbers N/A
Submission date
27/02/2007
Registration date
27/02/2007
Last edited
20/08/2021
Recruitment status
No longer recruiting
Overall study status
Completed
Condition category
Cancer
Prospectively registered
Protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Results
Individual participant data

Plain English Summary

Not provided at time of registration

Contact information

Dr A C Ogilvie
Scientific

’t Lange Land Ziekenhuis
Department of Internal Medicine
P.O. Box 3015
Zoetermeer
2700 KJ
Netherlands

Phone +31 (0)79 346 2881
Email ogilvia1@llz.nl

Study information

Study designPhase II, non-randomised, non-controlled, multicentre clinical trial
Primary study designInterventional
Secondary study designMulti-centre
Study setting(s)Hospital
Study typeTreatment
Scientific titleA phase II study of up-front red blood cell transfusion before chemotherapy followed by maintenance Erythropoetin-alpha subcutaneous support during chemotherapy of anaemic breast-, colorectal- and ovarian cancer patients
Study acronympCATS
Study hypothesisAn upfront Red Blood Cell Transfusion (RBCT) aiming at low-normal Haemoglobin (Hb) levels will ameliorate anemia-caused tumour hypoxia-related resistance to chemotherapy before the start of chemotherapy and may decrease secondary anemia-induced endogenous release of cytokines like Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), osteopontin. The maintenance of optimal Hb levels at this lower-normal range during chemotherapy by weekly maintenance administration of Erythropoetin-alpha (Epo-alpha) subcutaneous (s.c.) at doses with proven safety and efficacy creates optimal conditions for tumour oxygenation, without the presumably high-Hb level associated adverse effects.
Ethics approval(s)Ethics approval received from the local medical ethics committee
ConditionBreast cancer, colorectal cancer, ovarian cancer
InterventionAnemia-treatment consisting of preventive RBCT before the start of chemotherapy followed by the maintenance administration of Epo-alpha s.c. during chemotherapy.
Intervention typeDrug
Pharmaceutical study type(s)
PhasePhase II
Drug / device / biological / vaccine name(s)Erythropoetin-alpha
Primary outcome measure1. Hb levels before the start of and during chemotherapy
2. Safety of the pCATS anaemia treatment regimen
Secondary outcome measures1. Global Quality of Life (QoL) determined by a measurement on a Linear visual Analog Scale Assessment (LASA)
2. Length of treatment duration and time to treatment failure
Overall study start date15/09/2005
Overall study end date01/09/2006

Eligibility

Participant type(s)Patient
Age groupAdult
Lower age limit18 Years
SexNot Specified
Target number of participants23
Participant inclusion criteria1. Histological or cytological documentation of breast- or colorectal- or ovarian cancer
2. Age greater than or equal to 18 years
3. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of zero, one or two
4. Being scheduled to receive chemotherapy or having received already one cycle of chemotherapy and being scheduled to receive at least three cycles of chemotherapy prior to study entry
5. Life expectancy of at least six months
6. Signed written informed consent obtained prior to study entry
7. Anaemia: Hb less than 7.0 mmol/L tested within seven days before enrolment
8. Adequate bone marrow function as assessed within seven days before enrolment by:
a. absolute neutrophil count greater than or equal to 1.5 x 10^9/L
b. platelets greater than or equal to 100 x 10^9/L
9. Iron status measurements including levels of ferritin, transferrin, iron and iron saturation within seven days after enrolment
10. Patient is able to comply with scheduled follow up
Participant exclusion criteriaExcluded medical conditions:
1. Having more than one cycle of the current chemotherapy administered prior to inclusion
2. Having one cycle of chemotherapy administered before inclusion and scheduled to receive less than three additional cycles
3. Untreated folate or cobalamin deficiency
4. Untreated haemolytic anaemia defined by decreased serum haptoglobulin levels
5. Anaemia due to hypoproliferative or maturation bone marrow disorders
6. Clinically evident untreated congestive heart failure
7. Serious, untreated cardiac arrhythmias
8. Symptoms of untreated coronary heart disease or ischaemia
9. Untreated hypertension
10. History of HIV infection

Excluded therapies, medications and conditions, previous and concomitant:
11. Androgen treatment within two months before enrolment
12. Anti-cancer chemotherapy or immunotherapy within four weeks of study entry
13. Darbepoetin or erythropoetin treatment within four weeks before enrolment
14. Bone marrow transplantation or stem cell transplantation within four months of study entry
15. Investigational drug therapy within four weeks of study entry or during this study
16. Pregnant or breast-feeding patients. Women of childbearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test performed within seven days of the start of treatment. Adequate birth control measures will be required during the course of the trial
17. Known or suspected allergy to Epo-alpha
Recruitment start date15/09/2005
Recruitment end date01/09/2006

Locations

Countries of recruitment

  • Netherlands

Study participating centre

’t Lange Land Ziekenhuis
Zoetermeer
2700 KJ
Netherlands

Sponsor information

Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC) (The Netherlands)
Hospital/treatment centre

Department of Clinical Oncology
P.O. Box 9600
Leiden
2300 RC
Netherlands

Website http://www.lumc.nl/english/start_english.html
ROR logo "ROR" https://ror.org/027bh9e22

Funders

Funder type

Industry

Comprehensive Cancer Centre (Integraal Kankercentrum) (The Netherlands)

No information available

Janssen Cilag B.V. (The Netherlands)

No information available

Ortho Biotech (USA)

No information available

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to shareNo
IPD sharing plan summaryNot provided at time of registration
Publication and dissemination planNot provided at time of registration
IPD sharing plan

Study outputs

Output type Details Date created Date added Peer reviewed? Patient-facing?
Abstract results 20/05/2011 20/08/2021 No No

Editorial Notes

20/08/2021: Publication reference added.