A Phase 2 interventional study of Methotrexate in Arthritis and Arthralgia, sponsored by AHS Cancer Control Alberta. Terminated at 1 site in Canada. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-01-06.
Sponsored by AHS Cancer Control Alberta · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment
Many people develop joint pain, stiffness and swelling due to their cancer treatment that targets the immune system.
The severity of symptoms ranges from mild to debilitating and sometimes requires delaying or stopping cancer treatment.
The usual plan is to discontinue cancer treatment and give relatively high doses of a medication called prednisone (a steroid, which is an anti-inflammatory medication which may suppress the immune system), with a gradual lowering of the dose over several weeks.
While this can be effective, prednisone can cause several side effects, and it is not known if this is the best or safest treatment.
Hydroxychloroquine is a medication being studied on IMPACT 2.0 on participants who develop inflammatory joint pain while taking cancer treatments that affect their immune system. It is possible that the hydroxychloroquine treatment may not work well on some participants on IMPACT 2.0. Hydroxychloroquine is also given as standard of care to participants with this type of inflammatory joint pain.
The goal of this study is to learn how well methotrexate is at treating inflammatory joint pain in participants from IMPACT 2.0 that don't do well on treatment with hydroxychloroquine and in patients given hydroxychloroquine as standard of care to treat this type of inflammatory joint pain caused by taking cancer treatments which target their immune system.
3,554 studies on the registry are indexed under Arthritis; 317 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 27 is below the median of 90 across 2,377 interventional studies indexed under Arthritis.
Browse Arthritis studies →AHS Cancer Control Alberta is the lead sponsor of 182 studies on the registry; 31 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Adequate hematologic parameters defined by the following laboratory parameters:
Adequate hepatic and renal function defined by the following laboratory parameters:
Exclusion Criteria:
Methotrexate 20 mg PO weekly for 12 weeks. Folic acid 1mg PO daily for as long as Methotrexate is given. Prednisone starting at 20 mg PO daily for 8 weeks tapering dose.
Drug: Methotrexate
Methotrexate 20 mg PO weekly
Discontinuation of Prednisone
Proportion of patients who were able to discontinue prednisone by 12 weeks without recurrence of grade 2 or higher irAA.
Time frame: 12 weeks
Total Steroid Usage
The total cumulative dose of prednisone measured in mg used by the participant. If corticosteroids other than prednisone are used, their equivalent dosage in mg of prednisone will be calculated and used for this analysis.
Time frame: 12 weeks
Development of Immune Related Adverse Events (irAEs) Other Than irAA
Defined as the emergence of adverse events that were not present at study baseline that are deemed by the investigator to be related to prior use of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Causality will be investigator assessed and graded according to CTCAEv5.0
Time frame: 12 weeks
Adverse Events
The emergence of new or worsening baseline symptoms, physical findings, or laboratory/imaging abnormalities. Causality to study treatment, immune checkpoint inhibitors, or underlying disease status will be investigator assessed and graded according to CTCAEv5.0.
Time frame: 12 weeks
Re-initiation of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy
The proportion of participants in each study arm that are re-treated with an immune checkpoint inhibitor.
Time frame: 12 weeks
Progression Free Survival
The time elapsed between recruitment and tumor progression (radiographically or clinically) or death from any cause.
Time frame: Time Frame: Total study observation period (3 years)
Musculoskeletal Ultrasound of Symptomatic Joints
Ultrasounds assessment of symptomatic joints identified through clinical examination, will be performed and severity of joint inflammation will be assessed.
Time frame: Performed at baseline and Week 13 Day1 (to align with 12- month MSK Ultrasound of IMPACT 2.0). Analysis will be done to compare baseline to Wk13D1.
RAPID 3 Questionnaire
Patient reported outcomes (PROs) are an important and clinically relevant endpoint in clinical trials. The RAPID 3 Questionnaire is a brief, easy to complete questionnaire that provides an assessment of physical function, pain, and global health. It is a validated tool in rheumatoid arthritis. The investigators plan to monitor changes in RAPID 3 score over time.
Time frame: Performed at screening, baseline, Week 3 Day 1, Week 5 Day 1, Week 7 Day 1, Week 9 Day 1, Week 11 Day 1, Week 13 Day 1, and at 6 and 12 month follow up.
Bone Turnover Markers
Corticosteroids are known to promote loss of bone mineral density and predispose to osteoporosis.
Time frame: Collected at baseline, Week 13 Day 1
T-cell phenotyping (peripheral blood monocytes) and T-cell Receptor Sequencing
T cell function is essential to the anti-cancer effect of ICI's. The investigators intend to collect PBMC's and perform T-cell phenotying and T-cell receptor sequencing and correlate this with irAE and cancer outcomes.
Time frame: Collected at baseline and at end of treatment (Week 13)
Immunophenotyping
Immunophenotyping of regulatory T cells, expression of co-inhibitory receptors and ligands on T and the expression of T cells activation markers and the frequency of CD71+ erythroid cells because Methotrexate can impact the erythropoiesis.
Time frame: Collected at baseline and at end of treatment (Week 13)
Cytokine Profile
The cytokine profiles of different types of inflammatory arthritis are distinct and may predict response to difference types of treatment.
Time frame: Collected at baseline and at end of treatment (Week 13)
This study is terminated, as verified in Jan 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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AHS Cancer Control Alberta