Vaccine Study for Surgically Resected Pancreatic Cancer

This is an interventional treatment trial for Pancreatic Cancer focused on measuring pancreatic cancer, vaccine Read More

Inclusion Criteria:

• A histological diagnosis of adenocarcinoma of the pancreas.
• AJCC Stage I or II Pancreatic carcinoma (See Appendix A). Patients must have undergone surgical resection for the tumor and extent of resection must be either R0 (complete resection with grossly and microscopically negative margins of resection) or R1 (grossly negative but positive microscopically margins of resection).
• Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status ≤ 2.
• Serum albumin ≥ 2.0 gm/dL.
• Expected survival ≥ 6 months.
• Subjects must have a negative serology for HIV prior to entering study.
• Subjects must be able to take in ≥ 1500 calories daily.
• Adequate organ function including:
• Marrow: WBC ≥3000/mm3 and platelets ≥100,000/mm3.
• Hepatic: serum total bilirubin ≤ 2 x ULN mg/dL, ALT (SGPT) and AST (SGOT) ≤3 x upper limit of normal (ULN).
• Renal: serum creatinine (sCr) ≤2.0 x ULN, or creatinine clearance (Ccr) ≥30 mL/min.
• First vaccination must be within 6 weeks after surgery.
• Patients must have the ability to understand the study, its inherent risks, side effects and potential benefits and be able give written informed consent to participate.
• All subjects of child producing potential must agree to use contraception or avoidance of pregnancy measures while enrolled on study and receiving the experimental product, and for one month after the last immunization.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Age <18-years-old.
• Active metastases.
• Other malignancy within five years, unless the probability of recurrence of the prior malignancy is <5%. Patient's curatively treated for squamous and basal cell carcinoma of the skin or patients with a history of malignant tumor in the past that have been disease free for at least five years are also eligible for this study.
• History of organ transplant.
• Current, active immunosuppressive therapy such as cyclosporine, tacrolimus, etc.
• Subjects taking chronic systemic corticosteroid therapy for any reason are not eligible. Subjects may receive steroids as prophylactic anti-emetics, not to exceed 10 mg Decadron weekly. Subjects may also receive pulse doses for Gemcitabine hypersensitivity, not to exceed Decadron 8 mg BID x 3 days prior to start day of Gemcitabine. Subjects receiving inhaled or topical corticosteroids are eligible. Subjects who require chronic systemic corticosteroids after beginning vaccination, will be removed from study.
• Significant or uncontrolled congestive heart failure (CHF), myocardial infarction or significant ventricular arrhythmias within the last six months.
• Active infection or antibiotics within 1-week prior to study, including unexplained fever (temp > 38.1C).
• Autoimmune disease (e.g., systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), etc.). Patients with a remote history of asthma or mild active asthma are eligible.
• Other serious medical conditions that may be expected to limit life expectancy to less than 2 years (e.g., liver cirrhosis) or a serious illness in medical opinion of the clinical investigator.
• Any condition, psychiatric or otherwise, that would preclude informed consent, consistent follow-up or compliance with any aspect of the study (e.g., untreated schizophrenia or other significant cognitive impairment, etc.).
• A known allergy to any component of the vaccine or cell lines.
• Pregnant or nursing women due to the unknown effects of vaccination on the developing fetus or newborn infant. (For patients with child bearing potential, a βHCG must be completed within 7 days of first vaccination).