Study of [F 18]HX4 Positron Emission Tomography (PET) as a Tool to Detect Hypoxia in Tumors

A Pilot Phase II Study

The primary objectives for this study are:

• To test the reproducibility of [F-18] HX-4 uptake in tumors by imaging the same patient on sequential days in a test-retest protocol
• To test and confirm the relationship between hypoxia in tumors measured by hypoxia related biomarkers (HIF1α and CA-IX) with immunohistochemistry (IHC) and regional [F-18 HX-4] uptake in tumors with PET/CT.

The secondary objectives for this study are:

• To continue safety evaluation by the collection of safety data from all patients
• To establish the threshold for hypoxia uptake in [F- 18]HX4 PET imaging
• To collect data to test [F-18]HX4 PET imaging as a predictor of response in a subgroup of patients receiving treatment
• To gain experience with [F-18]HX4 PET/CT in order to improve the study design to conduct future studies

Design: An open label, non-randomized, uncontrolled, single group assignment, pilot efficacy study

Procedures: Informed consent, collection of demographic information, medical history, blood labs, physical examination, vital signs, ECGs, two or three sets of [F-18]HX4 dosing and imaging scans including two pretreatment, and one mid-treatment if [F-18]HX4 tumor/background ratio ≥ 1.3 from pre-treatment scans, one pre-treatment [F-18]FDG, one mid-treatment if [F- 18]HX4 tumor/background ratio ≥1.3 from pre-treatment scans, concomitant medication collection, adverse event monitoring, and assessment of tumor response to treatment

Patients: Approximately forty (40) patients who have diagnosis confirmed by histopathological examination of tumor tissue from head/neck, lung, liver, rectal or cervical cancers and will receive chemotherapy, radiation therapy or chemoradiotherapy. This allows for approximately 30 evaluable patients to complete this study at approximately six sites.

Inclusion criteria

• Patient is >18 years and male or female of any race / ethnicity
• Patient or patient's legally acceptable representative provides written informed consent and is willing to comply with protocol procedures
• Patient must have histopathologically confirmed head/neck, lung, liver, rectal or cervical cancer with tumor size ≥ 3cm
• Patient has tumor tissue samples available before treatment for future immunohistochemistry biomarker tests (HIF1alpha and CA-IX)
• Patient is scheduled to have or already had a clinical [F 18]FDG PET/CT scan recommended to be within 14 days of the first pre-treatment [F 18]HX4 PET/CT scan and have no treatment intervention in between these two scans
• Patient is scheduled or is intended to be scheduled to receive chemotherapy, radiation or chemoradiotherapy treatment(s) after the pre-treatment [F 18]HX4 PET/CT and [F 18]FDG PET/CT scans for his/her cancer care
• Patient must have hepatic and renal functions as defined by laboratory results within the following ranges:

• Total bilirubin within 2 times institutional upper limit of normal
• AST (SGOT) and ALT (SGPT) ≤ 2.5 times institutional upper limits of normal
• Serum creatinine ≤ 2.5 times institutional limit of normal
• BUN within 2 times institutional upper limit of normal

Exclusion criteria

• Patient is not capable of complying with study procedures
• Female patient is pregnant or nursing

o Exclude the possibility of pregnancy by one of the following:

• Confirming in medical history that the patient is post-menopausal for a minimum of one year, or surgically sterile
• Confirming the patient is using one of the following methods of birth control for a minimum of one month prior to entry into this study: IUD, oral contraceptives, Depo-Provera, or Norplant
• Confirming a negative urine dipstick test taken the morning of but before receiving [F 18]HX4
• Patient has been involved in an investigative, radioactive research procedure within 7 days and during the study participation period
• Patient has any other condition or personal circumstance that, in the judgment of the investigator, might interfere with the collection of complete data