Clinical trial Recruiting at 178 sites Phase 3 Interventional Ages Any age to 21

Chemotherapy for very low-risk and low-risk rhabdomyosarcoma

Official title: A Prospective Phase 3 Study of Patients With Newly Diagnosed Very Low-Risk and Low-Risk Fusion Negative Rhabdomyosarcoma

Run by Children's Oncology Group · NCT05304585 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This study is testing a new chemotherapy plan for patients with very low-risk and low-risk rhabdomyosarcoma to see if it can keep treatment effective while making it easier on them.

Quick facts

PhasePhase 3
Study typeInterventional
AgesAny age to 21 Years
SexAll
Enrollment205 (estimated)
SponsorChildren's Oncology Group
Research network
Drugs / interventionschemotherapy, radiation, cyclophosphamide
Locations181 sites (Birmingham, Alabama and 180 other locations)
StatusRecruiting
StartedAugust 4, 2022
Main results expectedJune 30, 2030
Study endsJune 30, 2030
Registry record updatedAugust 25, 2026
Trial IDNCT05304585 on ClinicalTrials.gov

Is this trial a fit for you?

Likely a good fit

Ideal candidates are patients aged 21 years or younger with newly diagnosed embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma or fusion-negative alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma.

Probably not a fit

Patients with rhabdomyosarcoma types not included in the study or those older than 21 years may not benefit from this trial.

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This phase III trial investigates the effectiveness of chemotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed very low-risk and low-risk rhabdomyosarcoma. It aims to maintain excellent treatment outcomes while reducing therapy burden by administering 24 weeks of vincristine and dactinomycin for very low-risk patients and a combination of vincristine, dactinomycin, and cyclophosphamide followed by vincristine and dactinomycin for low-risk patients. The study also explores the impact of centralized molecular risk stratification and intensified therapy for patients with specific DNA mutations. Blood and tissue samples will be collected for future research to better understand treatment responses.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this study could lead to more effective and less burdensome treatment options for children with rhabdomyosarcoma.

How similar studies have gone: Other studies have shown promise in treating rhabdomyosarcoma with chemotherapy, but this specific approach with molecular risk stratification is relatively novel.

Who can join: the full rules

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* All patients must be enrolled on APEC14B1 (NCT02402244) and consented to the Molecular Characterization Initiative (Part A) prior to enrollment and treatment on ARST2032 (this trial).
* Patients must be =\< 21 years at the time of enrollment.
* Patients must have newly diagnosed embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS), spindle cell/sclerosing RMS, or FOXO1 fusion negative alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) (institutional FOXO1 fusion results are acceptable). RMS types included under ERMS include those classified in the 1995 International Classification of Rhabdomyosarcoma (ICR) as ERMS (classic, spindle cell, and botryoid variants), which are reclassified in the 2020 World Health Organization (WHO) classification as ERMS (classic, dense and botryoid variants) and spindle cell/sclerosing RMS (encompassing the historical spindle cell ERMS variant and the newly recognized sclerosing RMS variant). Enrollment in APEC14B1 is required for all patients.

  * All patients will be evaluated for stage and clinical group. Note that clinical group designation assigned at the time of enrollment on study remains unchanged regardless of any second-look operation that may be performed.

    * Patients will be eligible for the very low-risk stratum (Regimen VA) if they have Stage 1, CG I disease.
    * Patients will be eligible for the low-risk stratum (Regimen VAC/VA) if they have Stage 1, CG II disease, Stage 2, CG I or II disease, or Stage 1, CG III (orbit only) disease.
  * Paratesticular Tumors: Staging ipsilateral retroperitoneal lymph node sampling (SIRLNS) is required for all patients \>= 10 years of age with paratesticular tumors who do not have gross nodal involvement on imaging.
  * Extremity Tumors: Regional lymph node sampling is required for histologic evaluation in patients with extremity tumors.
  * Clinically or radiographically enlarged nodes must be sampled for histologic evaluation.
* Patients must have a Lansky (for patients =\< 16 years of age) or Karnofsky (for patients \> 16 years of age) performance status score of \>= 50. Patients who are unable to walk because of paralysis, but who are up in a wheelchair, will be considered ambulatory for the purpose of assessing performance score.
* Peripheral absolute neutrophil count (ANC) \>= 750/uL (within 7 days prior to enrollment).
* Platelet count \>= 75,000/uL (transfusion independent) (within 7 days prior to enrollment).
* Creatinine clearance or radioisotope glomerular filtration rate (GFR) \>= 70 mL/min/1.73 m\^2 or a serum creatinine (within 7 days prior to enrollment) based on age/gender as follows:

  * Age: 1 month to \< 6 months; Maximum serum creatinine (mg/dL): 0.4 (male) : 0.4 (female)
  * Age: 6 months to \< 1 year; Maximum serum creatinine (mg/dL): 0.5 (male) : 0.5 (female)
  * Age: 1 to \< 2 years; Maximum serum creatinine (mg/dL): 0.6 (male) : 0.6 (female)
  * Age: 2 to \< 6 years; Maximum serum creatinine (mg/dL): 0.8 (male) : 0.8 (female)
  * Age: 6 to \< 10 years; Maximum serum creatinine (mg/dL): 1 (male) : 1 (female)
  * Age: 10 to \< 13 years; Maximum serum creatinine (mg/dL): 1.2 (male) : 1.2 (female)
  * Age: 13 to \< 16 years; Maximum serum creatinine (mg/dL): 1.5 (male) : 1.4 (female)
  * Age \>= 16 years; Maximum serum creatinine (mg/dL): 1.7 (male) : 1.4 (female)
* Total bilirubin =\< 1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN) for age (within 7 days prior to enrollment), and

  * If there is evidence of biliary obstruction by the tumor, then the total bilirubin must be \< 3 x ULN for age.
  * Note: For the purpose of this study, the ULN for SGPT (ALT) has been set to the value of 45 U/L.
* Serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) (alanine aminotransferase \[ALT\]) =\< 135 U/L

  * If there is evidence of biliary obstruction by the tumor, then the total bilirubin must be \< 3 x ULN for age
  * Note: For the purpose of this study, the ULN for SGPT (ALT) has been set to the value of 45 U/L
* All patients and/or their parents or legal guardians must sign a written informed consent.
* All institutional, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and National Cancer Institute (NCI) requirements for human studies must be met.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patients who have received prior chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy for cancer prior to enrollment. Surgical resection alone of previous cancer(s) is permitted.
* Patients who have received chemotherapy or radiation for non-malignant conditions (e.g., autoimmune diseases) are eligible. Patients must discontinue chemotherapy for non-malignant conditions prior to starting protocol therapy.
* Vincristine is sensitive substrate of the CYP450 3A4 isozyme. Patients must not have received drugs that are moderate to strong CYP3A4 inhibitors and inducers within 7 days prior to study enrollment.
* Patients unable to undergo radiation therapy, if necessary, as specified in the protocol.
* Evidence of uncontrolled infection.
* Female patients who are pregnant since fetal toxicities and teratogenic effects have been noted for several of the study drugs. A pregnancy test is required for female patients of childbearing potential.
* Lactating females who plan to breastfeed their infants.
* Sexually active patients of reproductive potential who have not agreed to use an effective contraceptive method for the duration of their study participation.

Where it's running

  • Children's Hospital of Alabama
    Birmingham, Alabama, United States
    Recruiting
  • USA Health Strada Patient Care Center
    Mobile, Alabama, United States
    Recruiting
  • Phoenix Childrens Hospital
    Phoenix, Arizona, United States
    Recruiting
  • Arkansas Children's Hospital
    Little Rock, Arkansas, United States
    Recruiting
  • Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center
    Downey, California, United States
    Recruiting
  • Loma Linda University Medical Center
    Loma Linda, California, United States
    Recruiting
Show 44 more locations
  • Miller Children's and Women's Hospital Long Beach
    Long Beach, California, United States
    Recruiting
  • Children's Hospital Los Angeles
    Los Angeles, California, United States
    Recruiting
  • Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
    Los Angeles, California, United States
    Recruiting
  • Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA
    Los Angeles, California, United States
    Recruiting
  • Valley Children's Hospital
    Madera, California, United States
    Recruiting
  • UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland
    Oakland, California, United States
    Recruiting
  • Kaiser Permanente-Oakland
    Oakland, California, United States
    Recruiting
  • Children's Hospital of Orange County
    Orange, California, United States
    Recruiting
  • Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford University
    Palo Alto, California, United States
    Recruiting
  • University of California Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center
    Sacramento, California, United States
    Recruiting
  • Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego
    San Diego, California, United States
    Recruiting
  • Naval Medical Center -San Diego
    San Diego, California, United States
    Recruiting
  • UCSF Medical Center-Mission Bay
    San Francisco, California, United States
    Recruiting
  • Children's Hospital Colorado
    Aurora, Colorado, United States
    Recruiting
  • Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children-Presbyterian Saint Luke's Medical Center
    Denver, Colorado, United States
    Recruiting
  • Connecticut Children's Medical Center
    Hartford, Connecticut, United States
    Recruiting
  • Yale University
    New Haven, Connecticut, United States
    Recruiting
  • Alfred I duPont Hospital for Children
    Wilmington, Delaware, United States
    Recruiting
  • MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
    Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States
    Recruiting
  • Children's National Medical Center
    Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States
    Recruiting
  • Broward Health Medical Center
    Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States
    Recruiting
  • Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida
    Fort Myers, Florida, United States
    Recruiting
  • UF Health Cancer Institute - Gainesville
    Gainesville, Florida, United States
    Recruiting
  • Memorial Regional Hospital/Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital
    Hollywood, Florida, United States
    Recruiting
  • Nemours Children's Clinic-Jacksonville
    Jacksonville, Florida, United States
    Recruiting
  • University of Miami Miller School of Medicine-Sylvester Cancer Center
    Miami, Florida, United States
    Recruiting
  • Nicklaus Children's Hospital
    Miami, Florida, United States
    Recruiting
  • AdventHealth Orlando
    Orlando, Florida, United States
    Recruiting
  • Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children
    Orlando, Florida, United States
    Recruiting
  • Nemours Children's Hospital
    Orlando, Florida, United States
    Recruiting
  • Nemours Children's Clinic - Pensacola
    Pensacola, Florida, United States
    Recruiting
  • Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital
    St. Petersburg, Florida, United States
    Recruiting
  • Saint Joseph's Hospital/Children's Hospital-Tampa
    Tampa, Florida, United States
    Recruiting
  • Saint Mary's Medical Center
    West Palm Beach, Florida, United States
    Recruiting
  • Children's Healthcare of Atlanta - Arthur M Blank Hospital
    Atlanta, Georgia, United States
    Recruiting
  • Atrium Health Navicent
    Macon, Georgia, United States
    Recruiting
  • Memorial Health University Medical Center
    Savannah, Georgia, United States
    Recruiting
  • Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children
    Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
    Recruiting
  • Saint Luke's Cancer Institute - Boise
    Boise, Idaho, United States
    Recruiting
  • Lurie Children's Hospital-Chicago
    Chicago, Illinois, United States
    Recruiting
  • University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center
    Chicago, Illinois, United States
    Recruiting
  • Loyola University Medical Center
    Maywood, Illinois, United States
    Recruiting
  • Advocate Children's Hospital-Oak Lawn
    Oak Lawn, Illinois, United States
    Recruiting
  • Advocate Children's Hospital-Park Ridge
    Park Ridge, Illinois, United States
    Recruiting

+131 more sites. See ClinicalTrials.gov for the full list.

Study contacts

  • Principal investigator: Josephine H Haduong — Children's Oncology Group

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

How to take part

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.