Using a microdevice to measure tumor response in ovarian and related cancers

Pilot Study of an Implantable Microdevice for Evaluating Drug Responses in Situ in Ovarian, Fallopian Tube, and Peritoneal Cancer

This study is testing a tiny device that will be placed in tumors of patients with advanced ovarian and related cancers to see how well different chemotherapy drugs work before surgery.

Quick facts

• Phase: PHASE1
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 20 (estimated)
• Ages: 18 Years and up
• Sex: Female
• Sponsor: Brigham and Women's Hospital (other)
• Drugs / interventions: chemotherapy, radiation
• Locations: 2 sites (Boston, Massachusetts and 1 other locations)
• Trial ID: NCT04701645 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This pilot study aims to evaluate the feasibility of an implantable microdevice that measures the local intratumor response to chemotherapy and other relevant drugs in patients with ovarian, fallopian tube, and primary peritoneal cancer. Participants with suspected or confirmed advanced-stage cancer will have the microdevice placed in their tumor tissue prior to surgery, allowing for assessment of drug effects over a short period. The microdevices will be removed during the surgical procedure, and the study will involve approximately 20 participants. This is the first investigation of this microdevice's application in identifying optimal cancer treatments.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates include individuals with suspected or confirmed advanced-stage (III-IV) ovarian, fallopian tube, or peritoneal cancer who are surgical candidates.

Not a fit: Patients with early-stage cancer or those not eligible for surgery may not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lead to more personalized and effective treatment strategies for patients with advanced ovarian and related cancers.

How similar studies have performed: While this specific approach is novel, similar studies utilizing implantable devices for drug response measurement have shown promise in other cancer types.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

* Participants must have suspected or confirmed clinically advanced stage (III-IV, defined as disease outside of the pelvis) ovarian, fallopian tube, or peritoneal cancer. If a patient has suspected ovarian cancer but final histologic analysis does not show evidence of ovarian cancer, the patient will be removed from the study and replaced.
* Participants must meet one of the following clinical categories:

  * Cohort 1: Patients with a new or suspected diagnosis of ovarian cancer who are deemed surgical candidates for primary cytoreductive surgery (as per their surgical gynecologic oncologist) and who have not yet undergone surgery.
  * Cohort 2: Patients with newly diagnosed ovarian cancers who are being considered for either primary surgery or neoadjuvant chemotherapy by their surgical gynecologic oncologist, and who require a laparoscopic procedure to determine their candidacy for surgery.
  * Cohort 3: Patients with recurrent ovarian cancer who are candidates for secondary cytoreduction, e.g. to confirm diagnosis of recurrent ovarian cancer and/or remove oligometastatic lesions.
  * Cohort 4: Patients with newly diagnosed ovarian cancers who have undergone neoadjuvant chemotherapy and are deemed surgical candidates for interval debulking surgery (as per their surgical gynecologic oncologist) and who have not yet undergone surgery.
* Participants must be 18 years of age or older.
* Patients must be deemed medically stable to undergo both percutaneous procedures and standard-of-care surgical procedures by their treating gynecologic oncologist and medical oncologist.
* Participants will undergo laboratory testing within 14 days\* prior to the microdevice placement.

  * Patients must have absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mcL
  * Platelets ≥ 75,000/mcL
  * PT (INR) \< 1.5
  * PTT \< 1.5x control
  * Women of childbearing potential must have negative pregnancy test (urine or serum) \*\*Cohort 4 patients should undergo laboratory testing within 7 days prior to the microdevice placement
* Participants must be evaluated by a surgical gynecologic oncologist who will determine the clinically appropriate treatment strategy (primary surgery or neoadjuvant chemotherapy) based on clinical history and extent of disease. The patient's surgical and/or medical gynecologic oncologist must also confirm the patient's medical fitness to undergo an additional biopsy procedure and the indicated surgical procedure. The patient must have a plan to undergo surgery for clinical purposes.
* The following criteria must be met:

  * Participants must have undergone an abdominal/pelvic CT scan that both assesses the extent of disease and identifies an area of tumor amenable to safe microdevice placement. CT scans with both oral and IV contrast media are preferred but not required.

CT scans performed at outside institutions are acceptable providing that the images are considered adequate to assess the stage of the disease and to assess the safety and feasibility of the placement of the microdevices and their retrieval during standard-of care surgery. CT scan must be completed within 4 weeks prior to the microdevice placement.

* Patient has sufficient volume of disease as measured by CT scan to allow implantation of the microdevice.
* Patient has sufficient volume of disease that removal of the lesion where the microdevice is placed will not potentially affect adequate tissue for diagnosis.
* A lesion can be selected where the microdevice is to be implanted that is

  * Amenable to percutaneous placement
  * Amenable to removal at the time of surgery or laparoscopy. If patient is undergoing laparoscopy, the lesion must be able to be removed using a laparoscopic approach in a manner that would not significantly alter the procedure or affect patient safety, per opinion of the surgical oncologist.

    * Patients must have the ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document.
    * Patients must be willing to undergo research-related genetic sequencing (somatic and germline) and data management, including the deposition of de-identified genetic sequencing data in NIH central data repositories.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit the safety of a biopsy and/or surgery.
* Pregnant women are excluded from this study because of the possible increased dose of radiation from imaging associated with the microdevice placement and the potential risk to the pregnancy of the biopsy/device placement in an abdominal lesion.
* Uncorrectable bleeding or coagulation disorder known to cause increased risk with surgical or percutaneous biopsy procedures.
* Significant risk factors (including, but not limited to, high risk of venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, stroke or myocardial infarction) precluding the safe cessation of anticoagulation medication as per SIR guidelines. (Patients taking low-dose aspirin only do not need to be excluded.)

Where this trial is running

Boston, Massachusetts and 1 other locations

• Brigham and Women's Hospital — Boston, Massachusetts, United States (RECRUITING)
• Dana Farber Cancer Institute — Boston, Massachusetts, United States (RECRUITING)

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Elizabeth Stover, MD, PhD — Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
• Study coordinator: Elizabeth Stover, MD, PhD

Conditions: Ovarian Cancer, Fallopian Tube Cancer, Peritoneal Cancer, Ovarian Cancer Stage III, Ovarian Cancer Stage IV, Fallopian Tube Cancer Stage IV, Fallopian Tube Cancer Stage III, Implantable Microdevice