National Cancer Institute
U.S. National Institutes of Health | www.cancer.gov

NCI Home
Cancer Topics
Clinical Trials
Cancer Statistics
Research & Funding
News
About NCI
Clinical Trials (PDQ®)
Patient Version   Health Professional Version
Last Modified: 8/14/2008     First Published: 4/1/2000  
Page Options
Print This Page
E-Mail This Document
Quick Links
Director's Corner

Dictionary of Cancer Terms

NCI Drug Dictionary

Funding Opportunities

NCI Publications

Advisory Boards and Groups

Science Serving People

Español
NCI Highlights
Virtual and Standard Colonoscopy Both Accurate

Denosumab May Help Prevent Bone Loss

Past Highlights
Phase III Randomized Study of Postoperative GM2-KLH and QS21 Vaccination Versus Observation in Patients With Primary Cutaneous Stage II Melanoma

Alternate Title
Basic Trial Information
Objectives
Entry Criteria
Expected Enrollment
Outcomes
Outline
Published Results
Trial Contact Information
Registry Information

Alternate Title

Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients With Primary Stage II Melanoma

Basic Trial Information

Phase
Type
Status
Age
Sponsor
Protocol IDs

Phase III


Treatment


Closed


18 to 80


Other


EORTC-18961
BMS-CA152-003, NCT00005052

Objectives

  1. Compare the effect of immunization with GM2-KLH and QS21 to observation on the disease-free survival of patients with primary cutaneous stage II melanoma after adequate surgery.
  2. Determine overall survival and toxicity in the two treatment arms.

Entry Criteria

Disease Characteristics:

  • Histologically confirmed primary stage II melanoma greater than 1.5 mm without evidence of lymph node metastases
    • T3 or T4, N0, M0
    • Must originate in the skin


  • Wide excision with a minimum of 1-2 cm margin surrounding primary lesion or biopsy scar
    • No more than 56 days since definitive surgical treatment (wide excision)
    • No more than 12 weeks since primary surgery


  • No clinical, radiological, or pathological evidence of incompletely resected disease, lymph node metastases, in-transit metastasis, or any distant metastatic disease


Prior/Concurrent Therapy:

Biologic therapy:

  • No prior immunotherapy
  • No other concurrent biologic therapy

Chemotherapy:

  • No prior systemic chemotherapy
  • No concurrent cytotoxic chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

  • No concurrent hormonal therapy except replacement therapy
  • No concurrent corticosteroids
  • No concurrent chronic systemic steroids

Radiotherapy:

  • No prior adjuvant radiotherapy
  • No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery:

  • See Disease Characteristics

Other:

  • No prior preoperative infusion or perfusion therapy
  • No concurrent immunosuppressive medications
  • No other concurrent anticancer therapy

Patient Characteristics:

Age:

  • 18 to 80

Performance status:

  • ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy:

  • Not specified

Hematopoietic:

  • WBC at least 3,000/mm3
  • Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3
  • Hemoglobin at least 9.8 g/dL

Hepatic:

  • SGOT/SGPT no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
  • Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2 times ULN
  • LDH no greater than 2 times ULN
  • Bilirubin no greater than 2 times ULN
  • Hepatitis B and C negative

Renal:

  • Creatinine normal

Other:

  • Not pregnant or nursing
  • Negative pregnancy test
  • No prior or other concurrent cancer except carcinoma in situ of the cervix or basal or squamous cell skin cancer
  • No autoimmune disorders
  • No conditions requiring systemic treatment with immunosuppressive drugs including treatment with systemic corticosteroids
  • No history of CNS demyelinating or inflammatory disease
  • No hereditary or acquired peripheral neuropathy
  • No other significant medical or surgical condition or psychiatric disorders requiring medication that would preclude study
  • No history of severe allergic reaction to shellfish
  • HIV negative

Expected Enrollment

A total of 1300 patients (650 per arm) will be accrued for this study within 36 months.

Outcomes

Primary Outcome(s)

Disease-free survival

Secondary Outcome(s)

Duration of survival
Toxicity as assessed by CTC v2

Outline

This is a randomized, open-label, parallel, multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to participating center, tumor thickness (greater than 1.5 to 3.0 mm vs greater than 3.0 to 4.0 mm vs greater than 4.0 mm), gender, ulceration (yes vs no), and presence of additional staging procedures of regional lymph nodes (yes vs no). Patients are randomized to one of two arms.

  • Arm I: Patients are vaccinated with GM2-KLH and QS21 subcutaneously on day 1 of weeks 1-4, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84, 96, 120, and 144 for a total of 14 vaccinations.


  • Arm II: Patients undergo observation.


Patients are followed every 6 months for 7 years.

Published Results

Eggermont AM, Suciu S, Ruka W, et al.: EORTC 18961: Post-operative adjuvant ganglioside GM2-KLH21 vaccination treatment vs observation in stage II (T3-T4N0M0) melanoma: 2nd interim analysis led to an early disclosure of the results. [Abstract] J Clin Oncol 26 (Suppl 15): A-9004, 2008.

Trial Contact Information

Trial Lead Organizations

European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer

Alexander Eggermont, MD, PhD, Study coordinator
Ph: 31-10-439-1911
Email: a.m.m.Eggermont@erasmusmc.nl

Registry Information
Official Title Adjuvant Ganglioside GM2-KLH/QS-21 Vaccination: Post-Operative Adjuvant Ganglioside GM2-KLH/QS-21 (BMS-248479) Vaccination Treatment After Resection of Primary Cutaneous Melanoma Thicker than 1.5mm (AJCC/UICC Stage II, T3-T4N0M0), a 2-Arm Multicenter Randomized Phase III Trial vs. Observation
Trial Start Date 1999-12-20
Registered in ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00005052
Date Submitted to PDQ 2000-02-11
Information Last Verified 2006-01-05

Note: The purpose of most clinical trials listed in this database is to test new cancer treatments, or new methods of diagnosing, screening, or preventing cancer. Because all potentially harmful side effects are not known before a trial is conducted, dose and schedule modifications may be required for participants if they develop side effects from the treatment or test. The therapy or test described in this clinical trial is intended for use by clinical oncologists in carefully structured settings, and may not prove to be more effective than standard treatment. A responsible investigator associated with this clinical trial should be consulted before using this protocol.

Back to Top

A Service of the National Cancer Institute
Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health USA.gov