CClinicalTrials.gg
Active, not recruitingNCT01686126feMMeUpdated Aug 28, 2024

Improving the Treatment for Women With Early Stage Cancer of the Uterus

A Phase 2 interventional study of Levonorgestrel and Metformin in Complex Endometrial Hyperplasia With Atypia and Grade 1 Endometrial Endometrioid Adenocarcinoma, sponsored by Queensland Centre for Gynaecological Cancer. Active, not recruiting at 17 sites in 2 countries. Open to female participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-08-28.

Sponsored by Queensland Centre for Gynaecological Cancer · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
165
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
Female
01

Study summary

Currently the standard treatment for early stage endometrial cancer or endometrial hyperplasia with atypia is a total hysterectomy (an operation to remove the uterus) and removal of both ovaries. While highly effective, this surgery carries significant side effects for:

  • young women who still wish to have children and would lose fertility; and
  • women with one or more disorders (or diseases) in addition to the early stage endometrial cancer or endometrial hyperplasia with atypia and/or morbid obesity who are at risk for surgical complications making surgery unsafe.

This study will access a new approach to the treatment of endometrial cancer to spare women of having to undergo major surgery that may be unwanted or unnecessary.

Mirena is approved in Australia for contraception, to treat heavy bleeding, and to prevent thickening of the lining of the uterus (endometrial hyperplasia) during oestrogen replacement therapy (HRT). However it is not approved to treat early stage endometrial cancer or endometrial hyperplasia with atypia. This research project will test to see if Mirena is an effective treatment for early stage endometrial cancer and endometrial hyperplasia with atypia.

Metformin is approved in Australia to treat Diabetes. However it is not approved to treat early stage endometrial cancer or endometrial hyperplasia with atypia. Therefore, it is an experimental treatment for early stage endometrial cancer and endometrial hyperplasia with atypia. This means that it must be tested to see if it is an effective treatment for early stage endometrial cancer and endometrial hyperplasia with atypia.

Weight loss interventions are feasible and safe, and already being implemented by gynaecologic oncologist to make women eligible for surgery. Weight loss of 7% body weight induces a large biological effect (for example reduces incidence of diabetes by 58%, and hypertension by 26%).

02

Conditions studied

  • Complex Endometrial Hyperplasia With Atypia
  • Grade 1 Endometrial Endometrioid Adenocarcinoma

Keywords

  • endometrial hyperplasia
  • endometrial adenocarcinoma
  • Gynecological Cancer
03

In context

Adenocarcinoma

2,004 studies on the registry are indexed under Adenocarcinoma; 375 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 165 is above the median of 45 across 1,553 interventional studies indexed under Adenocarcinoma.

Browse Adenocarcinoma studies →

Lead sponsor

Queensland Centre for Gynaecological Cancer is the lead sponsor of 18 studies on the registry; 6 are open to participants now.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
Female
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  1. Females with a BMI > 30 kg/m2 wishing to retain fertility or females who are at high risk of surgical complications due to co-morbidities or obesity
  2. Over 18 years of age at time of randomisation
  3. Histologically confirmed complex endometrial hyperplasia with atypia or grade 1 endometrioid endometrial adenocarcinoma on a curette or endometrial biopsy
  4. CT or MRI scan of pelvis, abdomen and chest (or chest X-Ray) suggesting the absence of extrauterine disease
  5. Myometrial invasion on MRI of not more than 50%, for women with histologically confirmed Endometrial Cancer only (for women who are unable to fit into an MRI machine inclusion into trial is at investigators discretion)
  6. No lymph vascular invasion on curetting or pipelle, if able to be assessed on sample
  7. Serum CA125 ≤ 30 U/mL
  8. No hypersensitivity or contraindications for Mirena
  9. Ability to comply with endometrial biopsies at specified intervals
  10. Negative serum or urine pregnancy test in pre-menopausal women and women \< 2 years after the onset of menopause
  11. Creatinine \< 150µmol/L (1.7 mg/dL) to be randomised into Mirena + Metformin arm (can still be eligible to be randomised to Mirena only or Mirena + Weight Loss, see section 5.4 Other Eligibility Criteria Considerations)

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. ECOG performance status > 3
  2. Grade 1 endometrioid adenocarcinoma of the endometrium with myometrial invasion deeper than 50% on MRI or any patients with grade 2 or grade 3 endometrioid adenocarcinoma
  3. Histological (cell) type other than endometrioid adenocarcinoma (sarcomas or high risk endometrial e.g. papillary serous, clear cell)
  4. Pregnant or planning to become pregnant during trial period
  5. Has had prior treatment or undergoing current treatment for EAC or EHA
  6. Patients with a history of pelvic or abdominal radiotherapy
  7. Unwilling to have additional endometrial biopsies or curettes and unable to attend three monthly clinical assessments
  8. Unable to provide informed consent
  9. Unable or unwilling to complete questionnaires
  10. Evidence of extrauterine spread on medical imaging
  11. Congenital or acquired uterine anomaly which distorts the uterine cavity
  12. Acute pelvic inflammatory disease
  13. Conditions associated with increased susceptibility to infections with microorganisms (e.g., AIDS, leukaemia, IV drug abuse) according to the patients Medical History
  14. Genital actinomycosis
  15. Current other cancer, except low grade malignancies that do not require any systemic treatment or treatment to the pelvis
  16. Breastfeeding mothers
  17. Mirena inserted greater than 12 weeks before randomisation/enrolment
  18. Previous use of Mirena within the last 5 years from randomisation/enrolment
  19. Contraindications to both Metformin and weight loss
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
165 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Mirena + Metformin

    Metformin tablets, 500mg twice daily orally, 6 months Levonorgestrel (Mirena®) 52mg Intrauterine drug delivery system, 6 months

    Drug: Levonorgestrel · Drug: Metformin

  • Experimental
    Mirena

    Levonorgestrel (Mirena®) 52mg Intrauterine drug delivery system, 6 months

    Drug: Levonorgestrel

  • Experimental
    Mirena + Weight Loss Intervention

    Levonorgestrel (Mirena®) 52mg Intrauterine drug delivery system, 6 months Weight Loss Intervention will be delivered via Weight Watchers

    Drug: Levonorgestrel

Interventions

  • DrugLevonorgestrel

    Intrauterine device

    Also known as: Mirena

  • DrugMetformin

    oral medication

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Pathological complete response

    Time frame: 6 months

Secondary outcomes

  1. Predict the response to treatment

    To predict the response to treatment through blood and tissue molecular biomarkers and to increase our molecular understanding of the biological pathogenesis of "early" EAC.

    Time frame: 6 months

07

Study locations

17 sites
  • Chris O'Brien Lifehouse
    Camperdown, New South Wales 2050, Australia
  • The Wesley Hospital
    Auchenflower, Queensland 4066, Australia
  • Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital
    Brisbane, Queensland 4029, Australia
  • Greenslopes Private Hospital
    Greenslopes, Queensland 4120, Australia
  • Mater Health Services, Brisbane
    South Brisbane, Queensland 4101, Australia
  • Mater Private Hospital
    South Brisbane, Queensland 4101, Australia
  • Gold Coast Hospital
    Southport, Queensland 4215, Australia
  • Townsville Hospital
    Townsville, Queensland 4810, Australia
  • Royal Adelaide Hospital
    Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
  • Royal Women's Hospital
    Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia
  • Monash Medical Centre
    Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia
  • King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women
    Perth, Western Australia 6008, Australia
  • St John of God Hospital
    Subiaco, Western Australia 6904, Australia
  • Auckland City Hospital
    Auckland, 1023, New Zealand
  • Middlemore Hospital
    Auckland, 2025, New Zealand
  • Christchurch Women's Hospital
    Christchurch, New Zealand
  • Wellington Hospital
    Wellington, New Zealand
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Janda M, Robledo KP, Gebski V, Armes JE, Alizart M, Cummings M, Chen C, Leung Y, Sykes P, McNally O, Oehler MK, Walker G, Garrett A, Tang A, Land R, Nicklin JL, Chetty N, Perrin LC, Hoet G, Sowden K, Eva L, Tristram A, Obermair A. Complete pathological response following levonorgestrel intrauterine device in clinically stage 1 endometrial adenocarcinoma: Results of a randomized clinical trial. Gynecol Oncol. 2021 Apr;161(1):143-151. doi: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2021.01.029. Erratum In: Gynecol Oncol. 2021 Aug;162(2):526. doi: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2021.05.016. PubMed 33762086 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Aug 28, 2024, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01686126
Lead sponsor
Queensland Centre for Gynaecological Cancer
Collaborators
The University of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Sep 17, 2012
Start date
Dec 2012
Primary completion
Oct 3, 2022
Completion
Dec 2026 (estimated)
Last update
Aug 28, 2024

Study contacts

Andreas Obermair
study chair · Queensland Centre for Gynaecological Cancer

Oversight

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

Not currently enrolling

This study is active, not recruiting, as verified in Aug 2024. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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