ClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT02959164Updated Jul 28, 2023

Decitabine and Gemcitabine for Pancreatic Cancer and Sarcoma

A Phase 1 interventional study of Decitabine and Gemcitabine in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma and Sarcoma, sponsored by Mohammed Milhem. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2023-07-28.

Sponsored by Mohammed Milhem · Phase 1, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Primary completion was Sep 2019, 7 years 1 month ago, and no results have been posted to the registry.
Phase
Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
36
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The purpose of this Phase 1b study is to assess the safety and maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of Decitabine in combination with Gemcitabine among previously treated patients diagnosed with advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma or sarcoma (soft tissue and bone).

Read the detailed description

The objectives of this study are to assess the safety and tolerability of the combination of Decitabine with Gemcitabine in previously treated patients with advanced pancreatic cancer and advanced sarcoma and to define the recommended Phase II dose and describe the dose-limiting toxicity of the combination of Decitabine with Gemcitabine. The preliminary efficacy parameters of the combination of Decitabine with Gemcitabine will be estimated in terms of response rate, disease control rate and progression-free survival.

02

Conditions studied

  • Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
  • Sarcoma

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03

In context

Sarcoma

1,607 studies on the registry are indexed under Sarcoma; 366 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 36 is close to the median of 40 across 1,255 interventional studies indexed under Sarcoma.

Browse Sarcoma studies →

Lead sponsor

Mohammed Milhem is the lead sponsor of 6 studies on the registry; 1 is 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
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  1. Patients must have or cytologically confirmed pancreatic adenocarcinoma or sarcoma (soft tissue or bone). Patient may enroll if he or she refuses therapy.
  2. Age ≥18 years.
  3. performance status ≤2 ( ≥60% (See Appendix 1).
  4. of greater than 3 months (does not apply to pancreatic cancer population).
  5. Measureable disease per criteria.
  6. Patients must have normal organ and marrow function as defined below:

    • ≥1,500/mm3
    • ≥100 k/mm3
    • Total within normal institutional limits
    • (SGOT)/ALT(SGPT) ≤2.5 × institutional
    • Creatinine \</= 1.5 ULN
  7. Women of and men must agree to use adequate (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; or abstinence) from time of consent and for the duration of study participation as well as for 3 months after the completion of study drug. Adequate contraception consists of a double method of contraception, one method of which must be a barrier method.

    WOCBP are defined as sexually mature women who have not undergone a hysterectomy or who have not been naturally for at least 12 consecutive months (i.e., who has had menses any time in the preceding 12 consecutive months).

    If a woman (or a male subject's female partner) becomes pregnant or suspects she is pregnant while she is participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately.

  8. Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written document.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Chemotherapy or radiotherapy within 4 weeks (for targeted therapies 5 half-lives) prior to entering the study or failure to recover from adverse events due to agents administered to \</= grade 1 or stable grade 2, at the discretion of the treating physician.
  2. Patients who are receiving any other agents.
  3. Known .
  4. History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to Decitabine or other agents used in study.
  5. Prior Decitabine for the treatment of this cancer. Patients with previous exposure to therapy with Gemcitabine are allowed in the study.
  6. Pregnant or breast feeding women are excluded from participating in this study. must have a negative serum pregnancy test within 7 days of the first administration of Decitabine.
  7. Patients with known positivity for (HIV) or ; baseline testing for HIV and hepatitis C is not required.
  8. Patients with any significant history of non-compliance to medical regimens or with inability to grant a reliable .
  9. Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements.
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(20)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Metastases

Cancer that has spread from where it began to other parts of the body. “Metastatic” cancer is cancer that has spread this way.

Histologically or cytologically confirmed

The diagnosis was confirmed by looking at a sample under a microscope: tissue from a biopsy or surgery (histology), or cells from a fluid or needle sample (cytology).

Your pathology report is the document that shows this.

Line of therapy

A line of therapy is one course of treatment, which may combine several drugs. First-line is the first course given; second-line follows when that stops working or is not tolerated.

“Two prior lines” means two courses that count separately under the study’s rules — not simply two drugs. Ask the study team if you are unsure how yours are counted.

ECOG performance status

A scale of how much an illness limits everyday activity. For people being assessed to join a study, scores run from 0 (fully active) to 4; lower is more active.

0
Fully active, no restrictions.
1
Limited in strenuous activity, but walking and able to do light work, such as housework or office work.
2
Walking and able to look after yourself, but unable to work; up and about more than half of waking hours.
3
Able to look after yourself only in part; in bed or a chair more than half of waking hours.
4
Unable to look after yourself at all; in bed or a chair all day.

Studies most often ask for 0–1 or 0–2. Your doctor gives the score; the WHO scale uses the same steps. The full scale also has 5, which records death.

Karnofsky performance status (KPS)

A 0–100 scale of how well someone can carry out everyday activities. 100 is no complaints and no signs of illness; 70 is able to look after yourself but not to work or keep up normal activity; 50 is needing considerable help and frequent medical care.

Studies often ask for 60 or 70 and above. Your doctor gives the score.

Life expectancy

The study doctor’s estimate of how long someone is likely to live. Criteria use it so that people can stay in the study long enough for it to answer its question.

RECIST

The standard rules for measuring tumours on CT or MRI scans, to tell whether a cancer is shrinking, stable or growing during treatment.

“Measurable disease per RECIST 1.1” usually means at least one tumour 10 mm or more at its longest on a CT scan, or a lymph node 15 mm or more across its short axis.

Absolute neutrophil count (ANC)

The number of neutrophils, white blood cells that help fight infection, in a given amount of blood. Too few raises the risk of infection.

It is a count, not a percentage of the white cells. Limits are written in units that mean the same: ≥ 1.5 × 10⁹/L is ≥ 1,500 per mm³ (µL). Each lab has its own reference range.

Platelets

Blood cells that help blood clot. Too few raises the risk of bleeding and bruising. A usual adult range is about 150–400 × 10⁹/L (150,000–400,000 per µL); each lab has its own reference range.

Bilirubin

A yellow substance made when red blood cells are broken down, which the liver clears. A high level can mean a problem with the liver or the bile ducts.

Criteria often allow more for people with Gilbert’s syndrome, a harmless inherited condition that raises bilirubin.

ALT and AST (liver enzymes)

Two enzymes measured in a routine blood test of the liver. Higher levels can mean the liver is under strain or damaged. SGPT and SGOT are older names for ALT and AST.

Criteria usually give a limit as a multiple of the upper limit of normal (ULN), often higher when cancer has spread to the liver.

ULN (upper limit of normal)

The top of the normal range for a blood test, as set by the laboratory that runs it. Each lab prints its own range next to your result.

“≤ 2.5 × ULN” means the result can be up to two and a half times that top value.

Childbearing potential

Able to become pregnant: from the first period until menopause, unless permanently unable to through surgery (removal of the womb, or of both ovaries or both fallopian tubes).

Criteria for people of childbearing potential usually ask for a negative pregnancy test and for contraception during the study and for a time after it.

Contraception

Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.

Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.

Postmenopausal

Periods have stopped for good: usually no period for 12 months in a row without another medical reason, sometimes confirmed by a blood test (FSH).

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

Investigational drug or device

A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.

It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.

Brain metastases

Cancer deposits in the brain from a cancer that started elsewhere in the body (CNS metastases include the spinal cord).

Studies differ: some leave out any brain metastases, some accept ones treated and stable for some weeks. Check what this study allows.

HIV

The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.

Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.

Hepatitis C tests

Hepatitis C is a virus that infects the liver. An HCV antibody test can stay positive after an infection has cleared (and is occasionally positive without one); an HCV RNA test shows whether the virus is there now.

After treatment, hepatitis C counts as cured when HCV RNA is still undetectable 12 weeks or more after the treatment ended. Studies often accept people cured this way.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 1
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
36 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Decitabine and Gemcitabine

    Decitabine, Dose escalation starting at 0.1mg/kg, subcutaneously administered on twice weekly schedule for three weeks of a 28 day cycle. Gemcitabine fixed infusion rate of 900 mg/m2, IV over 90 min, on Days, 1, 8 and 15 of a 28-day cycle.

    Drug: Decitabine · Drug: Gemcitabine

Interventions

  • Dose escalation starting at 0.1mg/kg, subcutaneously administered on twice weekly schedule for three weeks of a 28 day cycle. Dose Escalation Schedule Dose Level/Dose of Decitabine per cycle Level -2: 0.1 mg/kg SQ twice weekly for 1 week; Level -1: 0.1 mg/kg SQ twice weekly for 2 weeks; Level 1\*: 0.1 mg/kg SQ twice weekly for 3 weeks; Level 2: 0.2 mg/kg SQ twice weekly for 3 weeks; \*Starting Dose Level

    Also known as: Dacogen

  • Fixed infusion rate of 900 mg/m2, IV over 90 min, on Days, 1, 8 and 15 of a 28-day cycle. Dose Escalation Schedule Dose Level/Dose of Decitabine per cycle Level -2: 0.1 mg/kg SQ twice weekly for 1 week; Level -1: 0.1 mg/kg SQ twice weekly for 2 weeks; Level 1\*: 0.1 mg/kg SQ twice weekly for 3 weeks; Level 2: 0.2 mg/kg SQ twice weekly for 3 weeks; \*Starting Dose Level

    Also known as: Gemzar

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Dose Limiting Toxicity - To examine the toxicity related to the therapy by measuring the number of treatment related adverse events in patients

    Non-Hematologic - Any grade 3,4 solid organ toxicity not explainable by another cause in the opinion of the principal investigator

    Time frame: All eligible patients that have initiated treatment will be considered evaluable for assessing adverse event rate(s) up to 30 days after the last date of any study therapy

  2. Tumor Response Rate - Change at evaluations

    Response and progression will be evaluated in this study using the new international criteria proposed by the revised Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) guideline (version 1.1) \[Eur J Ca 45:228-247, 2009\]. Changes in the largest diameter (unidimensional measurement) of the tumor lesions and the shortest diameter in the case of malignant lymph nodes are used in the RECIST criteria.

    Time frame: Change on two consecutive evaluations at least 8 weeks apart up to 30 days after the last date of any study therapy

Secondary outcomes

  1. Disease control rate (DCR)

    DCR is defined as the proportion of patients who achieved a complete response (CR), partial response (PR) or stable disease (SD).

    Time frame: Patients will be evaluated weekly during each cycle of treatment up to 30 days after the last date of any study therapy

  2. Progression-free survival (PFS)

    PFS is defined as the duration of time from start of treatment to time of progression or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first.

    Time frame: Patients will be evaluated weekly during each cycle of treatment up to 30 days after the last date of any study therapy

  3. Overall survival (OS)

    OS is defined as the duration of time from start of treatment to death due to any cause.

    Time frame: Patients will be evaluated weekly during each cycle of treatment up to 30 days after the last date of any study therapy

07

Study locations

1 site
  • University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
    Iowa City, Iowa 52242, United States
08

References and documents

Study documents

PDFs hosted by the registry, ClinicalTrials.gov.

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Ran from Dec 2016 to primary completion in Sep 2019, 33 months.

Of 89 non-industry phase 1 interventional studies under Sarcoma, half reached primary completion within 62 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 34 and three quarters within 77. This study's 33 months is below that.

Counting every sponsor, half of 161 studies reached it within 56 months; a quarter within 35 and three quarters within 72.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Nov 6, 2016
First posted
Nov 8, 2016
StartActual
Dec 5, 2016
Primary completionActual
Sep 30, 2019
CompletionActual
Oct 16, 2020
Last update
Jul 28, 2023
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jul 28, 2023, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT02959164
Lead sponsor
Mohammed Milhem
Collaborators
Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa
Responsible party
Mohammed Milhem (Clinical Professor, University of Iowa) — Sponsor-investigator
First posted
Nov 8, 2016
Start date
Dec 5, 2016
Primary completion
Sep 30, 2019
Completion
Oct 16, 2020
Last update
Jul 28, 2023

Study contacts

Mohammed Milhem, MD
principal investigator · University of Iowa

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Jul 2023. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

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Studies of the drugs tested here: Decitabine · Gemcitabine

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