Study of Ferumoxytol Enhanced MRI for Detecting Lymph Node Metastases in Prostate, Bladder, and Kidney Cancers

Background:

• Conventional imaging modalities (e.g. computed tomography [CT] and magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]) are currently used for the detection of lymph node metastases in many cancer types, including prostate, bladder and kidney cancers, however diagnosis is based on node enlargement which is neither sensitive nor specific (i.e. small nodes harbor metastases, large nodes can be hyperplastic).
• As a consequence, the standard of care is to remove numerous lymph nodes during surgery or to biopsy enlarged nodes to ascertain lymph node status.
• In 2003 Dextran coated ultra small superparamagnetic iron oxide particles (USPIO), also known as Ferumoxtran-10 (Combidex, AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Lexington, Massachusetts (MA), United States (US)) was shown to localize lymph node metastases with much greater accuracy than unenhanced MRI. Although a large study in prostate cancer was successful, and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Advisory Panel did not recommend approval and the company abandoned the agent.
• In 2009 Ferumoxytol (Feraheme AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Lexington, MA, United States (US)) a semi-synthetic carbohydrate coated, magnetic iron oxide preparation similar to ferumoxtran 10 was approved for iron replacement therapy. Like ferumoxtran 10, this compound is taken up by normal lymph nodes and excluded from malignant nodal tissue.
• Results of a recent National Cancer Institute (NCI) trial (11-C-0098) in 15 patients revealed that using the dose of 7.5 mg/kg Fe is safe and yields homogenous and accurate signal changes in benign lymph nodes in comparison with the 4 and 6 mg/kg Fe doses. This dose was further tested in 5 patient's with known or suspected nodal involvement from prostate cancer and in four of five patients positive lymph nodes had a lower signal drop than the benign nodes. The one case in which there was uptake by positive nodes may have been on a vascular basis. This pilot study stimulated interest in a larger study involving a variety of cancer types.

Primary Objective:

-To compare the difference in signal between metastatic and normal nodes in prostate, kidney and bladder cancer patients.

Eligibility

• Subject must be greater than or equal to 18 years old.
• Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance score of 0 to 2.
• There are 3 parallel arms in this study. All patients must have evidence of lymph node involvement (with a short axis diameter greater than or equal to 1.5 cm).
• In addition:
• Arm 1: Subject must have a documented diagnosis of prostate cancer.
• Arm 2: Subject must have a documented diagnosis of bladder cancer (transitional cell carcinoma).
• Arm 3: Subject must have a documented diagnosis of kidney cancer (all renal cell cancer types).

Design:

• This is a single site 3-arm (arm 1=prostate cancer, arm 2=bladder cancer, arm 3=kidney cancer) study enrolling 50 evaluable patients (30 evaluable in each arm 1, 10 evaluable in arms 2 and 3) with documented prostate, bladder or kidney cancer with evidence of lymph node involvement [with a size of greater than or equal to 1.5 cm measured on conventional imaging (e.g. CT, MRI)].
• All subjects will undergo pre-infusion, 24, 48 hours post-Ferumoxytol infusion (dose of 7.5mg/kg Fe) MRI consisting of T1 weighted (W), T2W and T2*W 3 Tesla MRI.
• Imaging will be correlated with histology of resected or biopsied lymph nodes when available. Occasionally, patients may not undergo biopsy or surgical excision of their lymph nodes. This may occur if their lymph nodes are overtly large and therefore highly likely to represent lymph node involvement. In such cases, patients will be evaluated with clinical follow up which typically occurs every three months in most NCI protocols. If the lesion demonstrates growth or regression based on Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1 criteria on these follow up studies' then the lesion will be considered positive for tumor. If it is stable for at least one year, then it will be considered non-malignant. The MR imaging analysis will be intra-patient.
• Patients will also undergo ultrasound examination of imageable lymph nodes (e.g. inguinal nodes) at pre-infusion and 24, 48 hours post-Ferumoxytol infusion time points. The signal changes at post-infusion ultrasound will be visually evaluated to determine if the uptake of ferumoxytol alters sonographic features.

• INCLUSION CRITERIA

2.1.1.1 Subject must be greater than or equal to 18 years old.

2.1.1.2 Diagnosis

• Arm 1: Subject must have a documented diagnosis of prostate cancer with evidence of lymph node involvement (with a short axis diameter of greater than or equal to 1.5 cm on a conventional computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance (MRI) obtained within 8 weeks of the Ferumoxytol imaging procedure)
• Arm 2: Subject must have a documented diagnosis of bladder cancer (transitional cell carcinoma) with evidence of lymph node involvement (with a short axis diameter of greater than or equal to 1.5cm on a conventional CT or MRI obtained within 8 weeks of the Ferumoxytol imaging procedure)
• Arm 3: Subject must have a documented diagnosis of kidney cancer (all renal cell cancer types) with evidence of lymph node involvement (with a short axis diameter of greater than or equal to 1.5 cm on a conventional CT or MRI obtained within 8 weeks of the Ferumoxytol imaging procedure)

2.1.1.3 Subject must have Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance score greater than or equal to 2.

2.1.1.4 Ability to provide informed consent. All subjects must sign an informed consent form indicating their understanding of the investigational nature and risks of the study before any protocol-related studies are performed.

2.1.EXCLUSION CRITERIA

2.1.2.1 Subjects with known hypersensitivity and allergy to iron.

2.1.2.2 Subjects with evidence of iron overload with a pre-study ferritin level greater than 370 ng/ml and percent saturation of transferrin level greater than 40%. Patients with lab values above these limits may be included in the study if documented hematology consultation rules out hemochromatosis, idiopathic or iatrogenic iron overload.

2.1.2.3 Subjects with any coexisting medical or psychiatric condition that is likely to interfere with study procedures and/or results.

2.1.2.4 Subjects with severe claustrophobia unresponsive to oral anxiolytics.

2.1.2.5 Subjects with contraindications to MRI.

2.1.2.6 Subjects weighing >136 kg (weight limit for scanner table).

2.1.2.7 Subjects with any type of pacemaker, cerebral aneurysm clips, shrapnel injury, or other implanted electronic devices or metal not compatible with MRI.

2.1.2.8 Subjects with abnormal liver function tests suggesting liver dysfunction (aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) greater than or equal to 3 x of the upper limits of normal; total bilirubin greater than or equal to 2 x the upper limits of normal or >3.0 mg/dl in patients with Gilbert's syndrome).

2.1.2.9 Subjects with other medical conditions deemed by the principal investigator (or associates) to make the subject ineligible for protocol procedures.

2.1.2.10 Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding. The effects of ferumoxytol on the developing human fetus are unknown. For this reason, women of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) prior to study entry and for 1 day after study related imaging is completed. Should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while she or her partner is participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately.

2.1.3 Inclusion of Women and Minorities.

Members of all races and ethnic groups are eligible for this trial. Women are excluded from arm 1 of this trial as prostate cancer does not occur in females.