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NCT Number: NCT05899465

Perioperative Treatment With Tranexamic Acid in Melanoma

Surgery is a key element in the treatment of melanoma, and naturally linked with an inflammatory response and recruitment of innate immune cells. Although surgery has a favorable intent, surgery-induced inflammation, neutrophils in particular, may accelerate growth of local and systemic micrometastases. Thus, improving cancer surgery and modulating the wound microenvironment in ways that benefit the patients is crucial.

Repurposing already approved drugs in a cancer setting has gained increasing interest in recent years. Interestingly, tranexamic acid was recently suggested as an anti-cancer drug, capable of reducing tumor growth in experimental animal models and reducing the viability of different melanoma cell lines.

As a novel approach, sponsor and investigators will conduct a Randomised Clinical Trial, using perioperative treatment with Tranexamic Acid, aiming to prevent the early relapses for patients with melanoma.

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Key information

Conditions

Melanoma Disease Attributes Neoplasms Neoplasms by Histologic Type Neoplasms by Site Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal Neoplasms, Nerve Tissue Neuroectodermal Tumors Neuroendocrine Tumors Nevi and Melanomas Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Recurrence Skin Diseases Skin Neoplasms Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases

Age range

18 year–80 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 3

Primary location

Aarhus University Hospital. Dept. of Plastic- and Breast Surgery, Aarhus, Central Jutland, Denmark

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About this study

The objective of the proposed clinical trial is to test if perioperative treatment with tranexamic acid (TXA) reduces the early relapses and postoperative complications for patients with melanoma and evaluate perioperative inflammation and the prognostic- and treatment-related impact of the plasminogen-plasmin pathway from human blood- and tissue samples.

Primary aim:

To test if perioperative treatment with TXA is superior to placebo and reduces the early relapse rates, from 37% to 26%, for patients diagnosed with melanoma undergoing sentinel lymph node biopsy surgery.

Secondary aims:

  • Evaluate safety and tolerability: defined as mild (abdominal pain, diarrhea, or nausea) or severe (thromboembolic events) adverse effects.
  • Evaluate postoperative complications: defined as bleeding, seroma formation, and infections within the first three postoperative months.
  • Estimate melanoma-specific survival probabilities and compare the two treatment groups.

Explorative:

From blood- and tissue samples, baseline and perioperative changes of factors associated with inflammation, fibrinolysis, metabolism, immune cell composition, and activation status will be monitored and factors will be associated with prognostic and treatment-related outcomes.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Patients

  • Diagnosed with invasive cutaneous melanoma (pathological stage/tumor grade ≥T2b), defined as either: Breslow thickness >1.0-2.0 mm with presence of ulceration or Breslow thickness >2.0 mm regardless of ulceration status.
  • Eligible for surgery (wide local excision and sentinel lymph node biopsy).
  • >/=18 years of age and </=80 years of age
  • Signed Informed Consent Form

Exclusion criteria

Patients

  • With a prior history of invasive melanoma
  • Thromboembolic events within the last 3 months
  • Pregnancy
  • Active breastfeeding
  • Known allergy or hypersensitivity to TXA
  • Known and treated epilepsia or previous seizures
  • eGFR 0-50
  • Current use of tranexamic acid

Treatment and study plan

Tranexamic Acid

Drug

A single preoperative intravenous dose and per os treatment postoperatively day 1 through 4

Saline

Drug

A single preoperative intravenous dose and per os treatment postoperatively day 1 through 4

Primary outcomes

  1. Difference in rate of relapse within two years when comparing treatment arms

    Time frame: 2 year follow-up

    Histopathological confirmed relapse, defined as either local, regional (in transit or lymph node) or systemic relapses. Systemic metastases suspected on PET / CT/ MR will be used if a biopsy is not possible. Based on the primary endpoint, we will calculate the relapse risk proportions for each treatment arm as a binary outcome.

    The date of relapse or completed follow-up is noted and the relapse-free period is defined as the date of wide local excision and sentinel lymph node biopsy until the date of either the first confirmed relapse or the date of completed two-year follow-up without relapse.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Incidence of treatment-related adverse events

    Time frame: 6 months follow-up

    Adverse events summarised according to grade:

    Mild: defined as the patient's report of abdominal pain, diarrhea, or nausea. Severe: thromboembolic events, verified radiologically.

  2. Assessment of incidens of postoperative complications

    Time frame: 3 months follow-up

    Postoperative complications, summarised according to the type and postoperative timepoint, is defined as binary outcomes:

    Bleeding: defined as a drained or surgically removed hematoma or suggillation of blood to the skin around the operated area, occurring within the first 10 days post-surgery.

    Seroma: drained seroma, during the period from end of surgery through 3 months post-surgery.

    Infection: local wound infection, treated with antibiotics or surgical intervention, during the period from end of surgery through 3 months post-surgery.

  3. Melanoma-specific survival

    Time frame: 2 year follow-up

    Time to event estimates:

    Defined as the period from the date of surgery (wide local excision and sentinel lymph node biopsy) to the date of death from suspected systemic melanoma (histopathologically confirmed relapse or systemic metastases suspected on PET / CT / MR) or the date of completed 2 years follow-up.

  4. Overall survival

    Time frame: 2 year follow-up

    Time to event estimates:

    Defined as the period from the date of surgery (re-excision and sentinel node) to the date of death from all causes or the date of finalised 2 years follow-up.

  5. Relapse free survival

    Time frame: 2 year follow-up

    Time to event estimates:

    Defined as the period from the date of surgery (re-excision and sentinel node) to the date of histopathologically confirmed relapse (local, regional or systemic), death from all causes or the data or completed 2 years follow-up.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Karoline Kristjansen, MD

CONTACT

[email protected]

Marie Louise Bønnelykke-Behrndtz, MD, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

+45 78 45 00 00

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Aarhus

Other

Collaborators

  • Aarhus University Hospital
  • Central Denmark Region

Registry information

Official study title

Perioperative Treatment With Tranexamic Acid in Melanoma; Prognostic and Treatment-related Impact of the Plasminogen-plasmin Pathway

Acronym: PRIME

Important dates

Study start
2023
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2028
First posted
Jun 12, 2023
Registry last updated
Mar 18, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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