Title

Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin Compared With Doxorubicin in Treating Patients With Bladder Cancer
A Randomized, Multicenter Phase III Trial Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of BCI-ImmuneActivator Versus Adriamycin in BCG Refractory or Intolerant Patients With Carcinoma in Situ With or Without Resected Superficial Papillary Bladder Cancer
  • Phase

    Phase 3
  • Study Type

    Interventional
  • Status

    Completed No Results Posted
  • Study Participants

    None
RATIONALE: Biological therapies use different ways to stimulate the immune system and stop cancer cells from growing. Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. It is not yet known whether keyhole limpet hemocyanin is more effective than doxorubicin for bladder cancer.

PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of keyhole limpet hemocyanin with that of doxorubicin in treating patients who have bladder cancer that has not responded to BCG or in those patients who cannot tolerate BCG.
OBJECTIVES:

Compare the efficacy of BCI-ImmuneActivator™ (keyhole limpet hemocyanin) versus doxorubicin in BCG refractory or intolerant patients with carcinoma in situ with or without resected superficial papillary bladder cancer.
Compare the toxicity and safety of these treatments in these patients.

OUTLINE: This is a randomized, multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to participating center and prior BCG response (refractory vs intolerant). Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms.

Arm I: Patients receive a sensitizing dose of keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) intradermally at week -2 followed by induction KLH IV once weekly at weeks 1-6. Patients with partial or no response receive IV KLH reinduction therapy once weekly at weeks 13-18. Patients with complete response receive IV KLH maintenance therapy monthly at weeks 13, 17, and 21, and then at months 6-12.
Arm II: Patients receive doxorubicin IV once weekly at weeks 1-6. Patients with complete response receive maintenance therapy comprising doxorubicin IV at weeks 13, 17, and 21 and months 6-12.

Treatment continues in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Patients are followed every 3 months for 1.5 years, and then every 6 months for 1 year. (Patient total participation in this study may last as long as 42 months.)

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 150 patients (75 per treatment arm) will be accrued for this study.
Study Started
Jun 30
1998
Study Completion
Mar 31
2004
Last Update
May 15
2013
Estimate

Biological keyhole limpet hemocyanin

Given intradermally and IV

Drug doxorubicin hydrochloride

Given IV

Arm I Experimental

Patients receive a sensitizing dose of keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) intradermally in week 2 followed by induction KLH IV once weekly in weeks 1-6. Patients with partial or no response receive IV KLH reinduction therapy once weekly in weeks 13-18. Patients with complete response receive IV KLH maintenance therapy monthly in weeks 13, 17, and 21, and then in months 6-12.

Arm II Active Comparator

Patients receive doxorubicin IV once weekly in weeks 1-6.

Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Histologically or cytologically confirmed carcinoma in situ of the bladder with or without resected superficial papillary tumor

Biopsy within 3 months of study with or without positive urinary cytology within 6 weeks of study
Cystoscopy within 3 months of study
Negative imaging study of the ureters and kidneys within 6 months of study

BCG refractory disease

Received and failed at least 1 prior induction course consisting of BCG weekly for 6 weeks OR

BCG intolerant

Unable to receive an adequate course of intravesical BCG due to extreme toxicity
Opted against or medically contraindicated to cystectomy

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

18 and over

Performance status

ECOG 0-2 OR
Karnofsky 60-100%

Life expectancy

Not specified

Hematopoietic

WBC greater than 4,000/mm^3
Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm^3
Hemoglobin greater than 11 g/dL

Hepatic

Bilirubin normal
SGOT/SGPT normal

Renal

Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal

Cardiovascular

No severe cardiovascular disease

Other

No other severe disease
No other malignancy within the past 5 years except basal or squamous cell skin cancer or noninvasive cancer of the cervix
No evidence of autoimmune disease, known immune deficiency, or immunosuppression
Not pregnant or nursing
Negative pregnancy test
Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

See Disease Characteristics
No prior keyhole limpet hemocyanin immune activator

Chemotherapy

No prior doxorubicin
At least 3 months since prior mitomycin
No other concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

No concurrent steroids

Radiotherapy

At least 4 months since prior radiotherapy

Surgery

See Disease Characteristics

Other

At least 4 weeks since prior intravesical therapy
At least 3 months since prior investigational agents
No concurrent cytotoxic immunosuppressive agents
No Results Posted