Darbepoetin Alfa With or Without Iron in Treating Anemia Caused By Chemotherapy in Patients With Cancer

NCT ID: NCT00661999

Last Updated: 2011-05-17

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: PHASE3
• Total Enrollment: 502 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2006-01-31
• Study Completion Date: 2009-03-31

Brief Summary

RATIONALE: Darbepoetin alfa may cause the body to make more red blood cells. Red blood cells contain iron that is needed to carry oxygen to the tissues. It is not yet known whether giving darbepoetin alfa (DA) together with intravenous iron or oral iron is more effective than giving darbepoetin alfa together with a placebo in treating anemia caused by chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying giving darbepoetin alfa together with iron to see how well it works compared with giving darbepoetin alfa together with a placebo in treating anemia caused by chemotherapy in patients with cancer.

Detailed Description

OBJECTIVES:

Primary

• To compare the effects of IV iron, oral iron, or placebo in combination with darbepoetin alfa on the hematopoietic response rate, defined as a hemoglobin increment of ≥ 2.0 g/dL from baseline or achievement of hemoglobin of ≥ 11 g/dL in the absence of red blood cell transfusions (RBC) in the preceding 28 days of the treatment period, in cancer patients with chemotherapy-associated anemia.

Secondary

• To compare the effects of these regimens on the mean hemoglobin increment from baseline to weeks 7 and 16 in these patients.
• To compare the effects of these regimens on the percentage of patients maintaining an average hemoglobin level within the American Society of Hematology/American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASH/ASCO)and National Comprehensive Cancer Network(NCCN) guideline-based target hemoglobin range (11-13 g/dL), once achieving a hemoglobin of ≥ 11 g/dL from week 1 to week 16 in the absence of RBC transfusions in the preceding 28 days of the treatment period.
• To compare the effects of intravenously (IV) iron, oral iron, or placebo on the response to darbepoetin alfa, in terms of time to achieving hemoglobin levels of ≥ 11g/dL.
• To compare the effects of these regimens on the percentage of patients who require RBC transfusions and the total transfusion needs.
• To compare the effects of these regimens on the change in hemoglobin week by week.
• To compare the effects of these regimens on quality-of-life changes from baseline to weeks 7 and 16.
• To identify if patients with inflammation (as indicated by elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum hepcidin levels or low soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR)/log ferritin ratios) respond differently to darbepoetin alfa and iron therapy than patients without inflammation.

OUTLINE: Patients are stratified according to severity of anemia (mild [hemoglobin ≥ 9.5 g/dL] vs severe [hemoglobin < 9.5 g/dL]), treatment with a platinum-containing regimen (yes vs no), and gender. Patients are randomized to 1 of 3 treatment arms.

• Arm I: Patients receive darbepoetin alfa subcutaneously and sodium ferric gluconate complex IV over 90 minutes on day 1.
• Arm II: Patients receive darbepoetin alfa as in arm I and oral ferrous sulfate once daily on days 1-21.
• Arm III: Patients receive darbepoetin alfa as in arm I and oral placebo once daily on days 1-21.

In all arms, treatment repeats every 21 days for up to 15 weeks in the absence of unacceptable toxicity.

Patients complete quality-of-life (QOL) questionnaires in weeks 1, 7, and 16.

Conditions

Anemia; Leukemia; Lymphoma; Lymphoproliferative Disorder; Multiple Myeloma and Plasma Cell Neoplasm; Precancerous Condition; Unspecified Adult Solid Tumor, Protocol Specific

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE
• Blinding Strategy: DOUBLE

Study Groups

Arm I

Patients receive darbepoetin alfa subcutaneously and sodium ferric gluconate complex IV over 90 minutes on day 1. Treatment repeats every 21 days for up to 15 weeks in the absence of unacceptable toxicity.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

darbepoetin alfa

Intervention Type: BIOLOGICAL

Given by injection

sodium ferric gluconate complex in sucrose

Intervention Type: DRUG

Given by IV

Arm II

Patients receive darbepoetin alfa as in arm I and oral ferrous sulfate once daily on days 1-21. Treatment repeats every 21 days for up to 15 weeks in the absence of unacceptable toxicity.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

darbepoetin alfa

Intervention Type: BIOLOGICAL

Given by injection

ferrous sulfate

Intervention Type: DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Given by mouth

Arm III

Patients receive darbepoetin alfa as in arm I and oral placebo once daily on days 1-21. Treatment repeats every 21 days for up to 15 weeks in the absence of unacceptable toxicity.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

darbepoetin alfa

Intervention Type: BIOLOGICAL

Given by injection

placebo

Intervention Type: OTHER

Given by mouth

Interventions

darbepoetin alfa

Given by injection

Intervention Type: BIOLOGICAL

ferrous sulfate

Given by mouth

Intervention Type: DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

sodium ferric gluconate complex in sucrose

Given by IV

Intervention Type: DRUG

placebo

Given by mouth

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• No first-degree relative with primary hemochromatosis (unless the patient has undergone HFE genotyping and was found to have at least one wild-type allele, while the proband in the family demonstrated to have either the common C282Y or H63D mutation)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• ECOG performance status 0-2
• Ferritin > 20 mcg/L (i.e., not obviously iron deficient)
• ALT or AST < 5 times upper limit of normal
• Alert, mentally competent, and able to sign informed consent
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 3 months after completion of study treatment
• Willing or able to be randomized and undergo study treatment
• Willing or able to fill out quality-of-life forms
• No uncontrolled hypertension (i.e., systolic blood pressure [BP] ≥ 180 mm Hg or diastolic BP ≥ 100 mm Hg)
• No history of uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmias
• No pulmonary embolism or deep venous thrombosis within the past year (unless the patient is on anticoagulation therapy and planning to continue it during study participation)
• No known hypersensitivity to darbepoetin alfa, erythropoietin, mammalian cell-derived products, iron, or human albumin
• No seizures within the past 3 months
• No gastrointestinal conditions expected to cause significant impairment of oral iron, such as untreated celiac disease or amyloidosis involving the gut - Patients with celiac disease who are adhering to a gluten-free diet are eligible

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics
• More than 3 months since prior darbepoetin alfa, epoetin alfa, or any investigational forms of erythropoietin (e.g., gene-activated erythropoietin or novel erythropoiesis-stimulating protein)
• More than 1 year since prior peripheral blood stem cell or bone marrow transplantation
• More than 2 weeks since prior red blood cell transfusions
• More than 14 days since prior major surgery
• No prior gastrectomy or resection of > 100 cm of small intestine
• Not planning to undergo stem cell or bone marrow transplantation within the next 6 months

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

NIH

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Mayo Clinic

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Mayo Clinic Cancer Center

Principal Investigators

Charles L. Loprinzi, MD

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

Mayo Clinic

Tom R. Fitch, M.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Mayo Clinic

Locations

Mayo Clinic in Arizona

Scottsdale, Arizona, United States

Mayo Clinic

Rochester, Minnesota, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

P30CA015083

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

MC04CC

Identifier Type: OTHER

Identifier Source: secondary_id

NCI-2009-01226

Identifier Type: REGISTRY

Identifier Source: secondary_id

1713-05

Identifier Type: OTHER

Identifier Source: secondary_id

CDR0000593480

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id