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NCT Number: NCT01682811

Phase I Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) for Benign Dermal Neurofibromas (NF1)

GENERAL OBJECTIVE The general objective is to assess the safety and efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in the treatment of neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) tumors in the skin.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE This is a light dose escalation pilot study to determine the safety and efficacy of PDT using 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and 633 nm light in the treatment of benign dermal neurofibromas.

Specifically, the primary goal of the current study is to determine the maximum tolerable light doses that can be administered to subjects undergoing topical photoillumination photodynamic therapy with standard application of Levulan Kerastick (ALA) for Topical Solution.

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Key information

Conditions

Neurofibromatoses Congenital, Hereditary, and Neonatal Diseases and Abnormalities Genetic Diseases, Inborn Heredodegenerative Disorders, Nervous System Neoplasms Neoplasms by Histologic Type Neoplasms, Nerve Tissue Neoplastic Syndromes, Hereditary Nerve Sheath Neoplasms Nervous System Diseases Neurocutaneous Syndromes Neurodegenerative Diseases Neurofibroma

Age range

18 year–90 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 1

Primary location

The Medical College of Wisconsin

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226, United States

About this study

STUDY DESIGN This protocol is a Phase I light dose escalation pilot study to determine the safety and, secondarily, the efficacy of PDT using Levulan and 633 nm light in the treatment of benign dermal neurofibromas. This protocol represents the first two parts of a planned three part study including both pediatric and adult subjects. Part 1 will consist of studying the penetration and uptake of the PS in neurofibromas that are scheduled for excision. These tumors will be excised for therapeutic reasons unrelated to this study, and so this study will place no further burden on the subject other than a 3-24 hr incubation of the Levulan on the tumor prior to excision. The primary hypothesis to be tested is whether Levulan will accumulate, and be converted to PpIX, by the tumor tissue more than by the surrounding normal tissue. Secondary hypotheses are that tumors incubated with Levulan will show greater fluorescence than untreated tumors and tumors incubated with vehicle only (placebo application).

As the Institutional Review Boards involved generally desire pilot data on adult populations first, we will with then proceed with the adult clinical trial portion of this protocol as part 2. Part 2 will use the optimum incubation time, if one has been identified in part 1, and add a dose escalation study of the amount of red light used to activate the Levulan. Part 3, with pediatric subjects, will commence at a future date, pending review of the initial adult study results.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

Subjects with NF1 will be selected for photodynamic therapy on the following criteria.

  • Age: 18 years or older.
  • NF1 will be diagnosed by American Academy of Neurology guidelines.
  • Location of tumor: cutaneous, trunk or limbs only.
  • Tumor type: superficial dermal neurofibromas, less than or equal to 4 mm deep.
  • Growth confirmation: direct measurement for the dermal neurofibromas, ruler and photo-volumetric method.
  • Informed consent of subject.
  • Absence of any other malignancy.
  • Only failures to meet criteria 1-6 due to the primary disease will be disqualifying

Exclusion criteria

Subjects will be excluded from participation in the study on the basis of the following:

  • Life expectancy less than 1 year.
  • Pregnancy.
  • Inability to consent.
  • Cutaneous photosensitivity to the wavelengths used to activate PDT.
  • A diagnosis of porphyria.
  • Allergy to aminolevulinic acid or any of the Topical Solution Vehicle components.
  • Previous chemotherapy within 6 weeks of proposed PDT.
  • Other concurrent tumor therapy. -

Treatment and study plan

Part 1 Levulan injection

Drug

Control or treatment lesions will be injected with Levulan vehicle only or active drug and incubated under occlusion for 3 or 24 hrs. A minimum of three lesions per group on the same subject will be treated. Lesions will then be excised in the normal manner, sectioned vertically, and checked for Protoporphyrin IX using fluorescence microscopy.

Part 1 Levulan surface application

Drug

Control or treatment lesions will be painted with Levulan vehicle only or active drug, allowed to dry, and incubated under occlusion for 3 or 24 hrs. A minimum of three lesions per group on the same subject will be treated. Lesions will then be excised in the normal manner, sectioned vertically, and checked for Protoporphyrin IX using fluorescence microscopy.

Part 1 Levulan surface application twice

Drug

Control or treatment lesions will be painted twice with Levulan vehicle only or active drug, allowed to dry between and after applications, and incubated under occlusion for 3 hrs. A minimum of three tumors per group on the same subject will be treated. Lesions will then be excised in the normal manner, sectioned vertically, and checked for Protoporphyrin IX using fluorescence microscopy.

Part 1 Levulan surface application twice with microneedling

Drug

Control or treatment lesions will be prepared with microneedling, painted twice with Levulan vehicle only or active drug, allowed to dry between and after applications, and incubated under occlusion for 24 hrs. A minimum of three tumors per group on the same subject will be treated. Lesions will then be excised in the normal manner, sectioned vertically, and checked for Protoporphyrin IX using fluorescence microscopy.

Levulan (5-aminolevulinic acid) photodynamic therapy - Dose level 1

Drug

2-6 adult subjects with 3-8 lesions per (Levulan or control) group per subject. Controls will consist of lesions treated with vehicle only and light illumination, and will be paired with treatment lesions by the study doctor. Control lesions will be treated on the same subject as study lesions. Levulan will be incubated for 3-24 hours under occlusion, then gently rinsed with water and patted dry. Photoactivation of lesions treated with Levulan is then accomplished with 633 nm red light illumination. 633 nm light will be applied for 8 minutes to achieve a dose of 50 J/cm^2. There will be one treatment session per subject. Treatments will include a minimum of three test lesions and an additional three control lesions.

Levulan (5-aminolevulinic acid) photodynamic therapy - Dose level 2

Drug

2-6 adult subjects with 3-8 lesions per (Levulan or control) group per subject. Controls will consist of lesions treated with vehicle only and light illumination, and will be paired with treatment lesions by the study doctor. Control lesions will be treated on the same subject as study lesions. Levulan will be incubated for 3-24 hours under occlusion, then gently rinsed with water and patted dry. Photoactivation of lesions treated with Levulan is then accomplished with 633 nm red light illumination. 633 nm light will be applied for 16 minutes to achieve a dose of 100 J/cm^2. There will be one treatment session per subject. Treatments will include a minimum of three test lesions and an additional three control lesions.

Levulan (5-aminolevulinic acid) photodynamic therapy - Dose level 3

Drug

2-6 adult subjects with 3-8 lesions per (Levulan or control) group per subject. Controls will consist of lesions treated with vehicle only and light illumination, and will be paired with treatment lesions by the study doctor. Control lesions will be treated on the same subject as study lesions. Levulan will be incubated for 3-24 hours under occlusion, then gently rinsed with water and patted dry. Photoactivation of lesions treated with Levulan is then accomplished with 633 nm red light illumination. 633 nm light will be applied for 32 minutes to achieve a dose of 200 J/cm^2. There will be one treatment session per subject. Treatments will include a minimum of three test lesions and an additional three control lesions.

Primary outcomes

  1. Part 1: Photosensitizer Uptake and Conversion to Protoporphyrin IX

    Time frame: 24 hours

    The average fluorescence value for PpIX positive tumor areas in excised, sectioned tumors, as determined by fluorescence microscopy. PpIX signals were detected with excitation at 405 nm and emission with a 600 nm long pass filter. PpIX positive areas were determined to be those exhibiting fluorescence above background levels.

  2. Part 2: Maximum Tolerated Dose (MTD) of 633 nm Red Light

    Time frame: 48 hours

    MTD was determined by testing increasing doses up to 200 J/cm^2 on dose escalation cohorts 1 to 3 with 3 to 6 participants each. MTD reflects the highest dose of red light that did not cause a Dose-Limiting Toxicity (DLT) in > 33% of participants. DLT was defined as pain during irradiation requiring cessation of the light treatment, or any serious cutaneous adverse events.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Part 1: Optimal Occlusion Time

    Time frame: 24 hours

    An optimal occlusion time may be apparent from the results of the three time points. If no optimal occlusion time is seen, any occlusion time from 3-24 hours may be chosen for part 2. This secondary outcome measure is not critical to continuing the study, but may be useful in guiding treatment protocols

  2. Part 2: Efficacy - Lesion Area Growth Rate

    Time frame: 12 weeks

    Average lesion growth rates observed in ALA-treated lesions compared to vehicle-treated lesions within the same subjects.

  3. Part 2: Cosmetic Improvement

    Time frame: 1 year

    Potential cosmetic improvement using subject satisfaction scale.

  4. Part 2: Pain Reduction

    Time frame: 1 year

    Potential pain reduction, as measured by standard visual analog 1-10 scale.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Harry T Whelan, MD

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Photodynamic Therapy for Benign Dermal Neurofibromas Using Levulan Kerastick For Topical Solution, Plus Illumination With Red Light

Important dates

Study start
2012
Primary completion
2015
Study completion
2016
First posted
Sep 11, 2012
Registry last updated
Jun 18, 2021

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

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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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