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TerminatedNCT01499940Updated Nov 10, 2021Results posted

Study to Assess Prevention of Oxaliplatin-induced Neurotoxicity Through Vitamin D Pathway

A Phase 2 interventional study of Vitamin D3 in Neurotoxicity, sponsored by Gerald Higa, PharmD.. Terminated at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 90 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2021-11-10.

Sponsored by Gerald Higa, PharmD. · Phase 2, Interventional, and Supportive care

Why this study was terminated
Research cancelled - no funding identified.
Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
9
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years to 90 Years
Sex
All
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Study summary

Many patients with cancer that are treated with a drug called oxaliplatin. This drug is used with other drugs to treat cancer. The drug can cause problems with the nerves in the hands and feet called peripheral neuropathy (a side effect of the drug). Peripheral neuropathy may make the hands and feet feel like they are tingling, have a burning feeling, and can cause pain. Almost all patients who receive oxaliplatin as part of their cancer treatment have peripheral neuropathy. Patients who do have this side effect usually have to take a lower dose of or stop taking the oxaliplatin even if the drug is helping their cancer.

So far there is not a lot of information about how to make this side effect better or help it go away completely. There is some information that low levels of Vitamin D in the blood might be linked to problems or diseases of the nervous system like multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's Disease. It is even thought that Vitamin D may help protect the cells in the nervous system. Because of this information, researchers want to see if giving patients Vitamin D while they are receiving the drug oxaliplatin to see if it helps prevent the side effect peripheral neuropathy.

Patients taking oxaliplatin who want to be in this study will take one Vitamin D capsule each day while they take oxaliplatin. Being in this study will not affect how the patient's cancer is treated. There are blood tests in the study to check Vitamin D levels and for a protein called nerve growth factor (NGF). The study team will carefully monitor the patients for any signs of oxaliplatin-related neurologic toxicity during the study.

Read the detailed description

Oxaliplatin is used most frequently in patients with metastatic and early-stage colorectal cancers. It has been found that in the adjuvant setting, Oxaliplatin improves both disease free and overall survival. Despite these results, the use of Oxaliplatin is limited by the sensory neuropathy or numbness and tingling, that occurs in 80% -90% of patients. Some of these patients will develop irreversible and debilitating neuropathy, in which the drug may no longer be used to treat their cancer.

It is expected that this proposed study will provide new information for the role of Vitamin D in the pathogenesis of Oxaliplatin-induced neurotoxicity. The dynamic effects of Vitamin D on calcium and nerve growth factor plus the now recognized state of subclinical Vitamin D deficiency are compelling pieces of evidence that indicate this hormone may be in a pivotal position in the multifactorial pathogenesis of neurotoxic reactions induced by Oxaliplatin. The specific aim of the study is to determine the neuroprotective effects of Vitamin D.

Patients will receive Oxaliplatin at a dose of 80 mg/m2 at a physician determined frequency appropriate for the underlying malignancy, which can be any histological diagnosis of a malignant solid neoplasm involving the GI tract not restricted to the colon, rectum and esophagus. Blood will be collected to monitor the level of Vitamin D and nerve growth factor (NGF) at specific time points. Vitamin D levels will be checked once a month and NGF levels will be checked bi-weekly. These blood samples will be collected at the same time of the patients routine blood draws. Patients will take one capsule containing 2000 IUs of Vitamin D3 daily, beginning up to 7 days prior to the first dose of Oxaliplatin. Vitamin D3 will be provided to patients as long as they remain on the study.

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Conditions studied

  • Neurotoxicity

Keywords

  • peripheral neuropathy
  • vitamin D status
  • oxaliplatin
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In context

Neurotoxicity Syndromes

137 studies on the registry are indexed under Neurotoxicity Syndromes; 16 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 9 is below the median of 92 across 92 interventional studies indexed under Neurotoxicity Syndromes.

Browse Neurotoxicity Syndromes studies →

Lead sponsor

This is the only study on the registry with Gerald Higa, PharmD. as lead sponsor.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 90 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Have a histologic diagnosis of a malignant solid neoplasm involving the gastrointestinal tract not necessarily restricted to the colon, rectum, and esophagus,
  • Will receive oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy for the first time (previous treatment with non-oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy does not preclude eligibility),
  • Have disease of any stage and will be treated according to established standards,
  • Have a performance status (ECOG) of 2 or less,
  • Have intact organ function as determined by laboratory tests of the kidney, liver, and bone marrow deemed appropriate to receive cytotoxic chemotherapy,
  • Are 18 years of age or older, and
  • Have signed a consent and information form to participate in the study.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Are pregnant (subjects of childbearing age will have a pregnancy test performed),
  • Are taking calcitriol or have vitamin D levels that are >100 ng/dL,
  • Are receiving medication for seizures, or
  • Have pre-existing peripheral neuropathy grade >1.
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Study design

Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
9 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Vitamin D3 2000 IU/day

    Vitamin D3 2000 IU/day on day of 1st cycle of oxaliplatin; continue as long as patient treated with oxaliplatin and remains on study

    Drug: Vitamin D3

Interventions

  • DrugVitamin D3

    Vitamin D3 will be administered at a dose of 2000 IU orally daily starting on day 1 of the first cycle of oxaliplatin. The vitamin will be continued at this dose and schedule for approximately 6 months if the patient is receiving oxaliplatin in the adjuvant setting and neither dosage nor interval has been modified for neurological toxicity. The duration of therapy if oxaliplatin is given for metastatic disease will vary. Nonetheless, the study vitamin will be continued using the same criteria as in the adjuvant setting.

    Also known as: Cholecalciferol

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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Number of Participants With Peripheral Neurotoxic Reactions

    NCI CTCAE Version 4.0

    Time frame: Up to 12 months

07

Results

Posted Sep 5, 2021

Participant flow

Participant flow — Overall Study
MilestoneVitamin D3 2000 IU/Day
Started9
Completed0
Not completed9
Withdrew: Study was withdrawn before completion.9

Outcome measures

PrimaryNumber of Participants With Peripheral Neurotoxic Reactions

NCI CTCAE Version 4.0

Time frame:
Up to 12 months
Reported as:
Count of participants · Participants
Number of Participants With Peripheral Neurotoxic Reactions
ParticipantsVitamin D3 2000 IU/Day
Number of Participants With Peripheral Neurotoxic Reactions5

Adverse events

Non-serious events are listed at a 0% frequency threshold.

Adverse event summary by group
GroupDeathsSeriousOther
Vitamin D3 2000 IU/Day0/9 (0%)0/9 (0%)0/9 (0%)

Baseline characteristics

Age, Categorical
Age, Categorical(Participants)Vitamin D3 2000 IU/Day
<=18 years0
Between 18 and 65 years4
>=65 years5
Sex: Female, Male
Sex: Female, Male(Participants)Vitamin D3 2000 IU/Day
Female1
Male8
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)(Participants)Vitamin D3 2000 IU/Day
Hispanic or Latino0
Not Hispanic or Latino9
Unknown or Not Reported0
Race (NIH/OMB)
Race (NIH/OMB)(Participants)Vitamin D3 2000 IU/Day
American Indian or Alaska Native0
Asian0
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander0
Black or African American0
White9
More than one race0
Unknown or Not Reported0
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Study locations

1 site
  • West Virginia University Hospitals Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center
    Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
09

References and documents

Publications

  • Kim JS, Ryu SY, Yun I, Kim WJ, Lee KS, Park JW, Kim YI. 1alpha,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D(3) Protects Dopaminergic Neurons in Rodent Models of Parkinson's Disease through Inhibition of Microglial Activation. J Clin Neurol. 2006 Dec;2(4):252-7. doi: 10.3988/jcn.2006.2.4.252. Epub 2006 Dec 20. PubMed 20396528 ↗
  • Wang JY, Wu JN, Cherng TL, Hoffer BJ, Chen HH, Borlongan CV, Wang Y. Vitamin D(3) attenuates 6-hydroxydopamine-induced neurotoxicity in rats. Brain Res. 2001 Jun 15;904(1):67-75. doi: 10.1016/s0006-8993(01)02450-7. PubMed 11516412 ↗
  • Bischoff-Ferrari HA, Giovannucci E, Willett WC, Dietrich T, Dawson-Hughes B. Estimation of optimal serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D for multiple health outcomes. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Jul;84(1):18-28. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/84.1.18. Erratum In: Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Nov;84(5):1253. Dosage error in published abstract; MEDLINE/PubMed abstract corrected. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Sep;86(3):809. Dosage error in published abstract; MEDLINE/PubMed abstract corrected. PubMed 16825677 ↗
  • Holick MF. Vitamin D deficiency. N Engl J Med. 2007 Jul 19;357(3):266-81. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra070553. No abstract available. PubMed 17634462 ↗
  • Heaney RP. Functional indices of vitamin D status and ramifications of vitamin D deficiency. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Dec;80(6 Suppl):1706S-9S. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/80.6.1706S. PubMed 15585791 ↗
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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Nov 10, 2021, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01499940
Lead sponsor
Gerald Higa, PharmD.
Responsible party
Gerald Higa, PharmD. (Associate Professor, West Virginia University) — Sponsor-investigator
First posted
Dec 26, 2011
Start date
Jan 2012
Primary completion
Dec 2012
Completion
Dec 2012
Results posted
Sep 5, 2021
Last update
Nov 10, 2021

Study contacts

Gerald Higa, PharmD
principal investigator · West Virginia University

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is terminated, as verified in Nov 2021. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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