Role of Gut Microbiome and Fecal Transplant on Medication-Induced GI Complications in Patients With Cancer
Role of Microbiome in the Realm of Immune-Checkpoint Inhibitor Induced GI Complications In Cancer Population
Who can join
As published by the study on ClinicalTrials.gov. "Not stated" means the study hasn't said — ask the study team.
- Age
- 18 Years and older
- Sex
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Compensation
- Not stated
Other requirements are listed under Eligibility below. Only the study team can confirm whether you can join.
What to expect
No one can promise a trial will help you personally — that is what the research is trying to find out.
What participation involves
- Procedures mentioned: Blood draws
Only what the study's summary and detailed description on ClinicalTrials.gov say. Time periods may describe the whole study or a part of it — ask the study team what applies to you.
Show the study's own words
- "OUTLINE: PROJECT 1: Patients receive standard of care and undergo collection of stool and blood samples."
- Compensation
- Not stated
- Study-related exams and procedures are typically provided at no cost. This is how many trials work in general — confirm the details for this study with the study team.
- Participants are monitored closely by the research team throughout the study.
- Some participants may receive access to an investigational treatment, which is still being studied.
- Your participation helps researchers learn whether this approach could help future patients.
About this study
In plain language
This study looks at how germs in the gut affect diarrhea and colitis (swelling in the intestines) caused by cancer drugs that help the immune system fight cancer. It also tests whether a fecal transplant—putting donated stool into the gut—can help these symptoms. Different parts of the study include people with certain cancers or any type of cancer.
This trial studies the role of the gut microbiome and effectiveness of a fecal transplant on medication-induced gastrointestinal (GI) complications in patients with melanoma or genitourinary cancer. The gut microbiome (the bacteria and microorganisms that live in the digestive system) may affect whether or not someone develops colitis (inflammation of the intestines) during cancer treatment with immune-checkpoint inhibitor drugs. Studying samples of stool, blood, and tissue from patients with melanoma or genitourinary cancer may help doctors learn more about the effects of treatment on cells, and help doctors understand how well patients respond to treatment. Treatment with fecal transplantation may help to improve diarrhea and colitis symptoms.
Compensation is read from the study's own description and may be missing — always confirm with the study team.
Eligibility
Who can join
- Have melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, or cancer of the urinary or reproductive organs for Project 1. Projects 2 and 3 accept any cancer type.
- Receive an immune-checkpoint inhibitor, a cancer drug that helps the immune system fight cancer.
- Be able and willing to sign a consent form and complete surveys.
- Project 1: Have drug-related diarrhea or colitis of any severity, or join the comparison group with no organ side effects.
- Project 2: Have at least moderate drug-related diarrhea or colitis and receive standard drugs that calm the immune system.
- Project 3: Be expected to live more than 4 months. Have at least moderate drug-related diarrhea or colitis within 45 days before the fecal transplant, without side effects outside the gut.
- Project 3: Symptoms must resist steroids and two doses of another immune-calming drug, return after treatment, depend on steroids, or have resisted treatment in the past. People who cannot safely take immune-calming drugs may also qualify.
- Project 3: Have no concern for an active gut infection when study treatment starts. If infection tests are positive, an infection specialist or treating doctor must approve joining.
Who can't join
- Be younger than 18.
- Have active inflammatory bowel disease or active swelling in the intestines caused by radiation when study treatment starts.
- Be pregnant or breastfeeding.
- If able to become pregnant, have a positive pregnancy test or refuse testing. Testing exceptions apply for certain people with menopause-related records or recent proof of no pregnancy.
- Project 3: Have drug-related side effects outside the gut at the time of the fecal transplant.
- Project 3: Have an active bacterial or fungal infection.
- Project 3 stool donors: Be at risk for mpox infection or exposure based on a questionnaire.
Simplified for readability. The official criteria below are what the study team uses.
Official eligibility criteria
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Diagnosis of any stage melanoma, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer or genitourinary (GU) malignancies (Project 1). 2. Diagnosis of any cancer type (Projects 2 and 3) 3. Treatment with any ICPI agent 4. Ability to understand and willingness to sign an informed consent form and rate surveys 5. Life expectancy \> 4 months (Project 3) 6. ICPI-related diarrhea and/or colitis of any grade with or without concurrent non- GI toxicity as the toxicity group (project 1) 7. Patients with no organ toxicity as the control group (project 1) 8. ICPI-related colitis and/or diarrhea of grade ≥ 2 as GI toxicity (initial episode or recurrence) receiving standard treatment of immunosuppressive agents (steroid, infliximab, vedolizumab, or ustekinumab) any time during the colitis disease course until sustained resolution of GI toxicity, or one- year time point after enrollment (Project 2) 9. ICPI-related colitis and/or diarrhea of grade ≥ 2 as GI toxicity without involvement of non- GI toxicity within 45 days prior to FMT (Project 3) 10. ICPI-related colitis and/or diarrhea of grade ≥ 2 within 45 days prior to FMT with ANY of the following characteristics (project 3): (i) refractory to treatment of steroid and two doses of non-steroidal immunosuppressants e.g. infliximab, vedolizumab or ustekinumab, (ii) contraindication for immunosuppressive treatment, (iii) recurrence after successful initial treatment, (iv) recurrent symptoms once steroid is tapered down/off or diarrhea/colitis symptoms are steroid dependent, or (v) patients with a history of refractory ICPI-related colitis and/or diarrhea to medical treatment, even if they have improved symptoms from supportive care within 45 days prior to FMT 11. No concern for active concomitant GI infection for the ICPI diarrhea/colitis work up at the time of protocol therapy initiation as confirmed by stool tests or as per the treating physician based on clinical presentation (project 3) 12. Patient who has been cleared for enrollment by Infectious Diseases consultant or treating physician if positive infection workup or screening tests (e.g. lifelong positive T-spot due to BCG inoculation, chronic colonization) prior to initiation of diarrhea/colitis treatment (project 3) Exclusion Criteria: 1. Age younger than 18 years 2. History of inflammatory bowel disease, and/or radiation enteritis or colitis with active disease status at the time of study treatment initiation 3. Pregnant and breastfeeding women 4. Women of child-bearing potential who have positive urine or serum pregnancy test or refuse to do pregnancy test unless last menstrual cycle was \> 1 year prior to consent and/ or clear documentation states that patient is peri- or post-menopausal or there was recent supporting objective evidence of 'no pregnancy' status (e.g. blood or imaging) within 30 days prior to date of study treatment 5. Patients who develop concurrent non- GI toxicity at the time of FMT treatment (project 3) 6. Patients with active bacterial or fungal infection (Project 3) 7. Donors at risk for monkeypox infection and/ or exposure as determined by a questionnaire (Project 3) Withdrawal Criteria 1. Patients may withdraw from the trial at any time 2. Patients who develop GI perforation or toxic colitis that require surgery from ICPI colitis 3. In project 3, if the first 30% of cases fail the fecal transplant treatment, then project 3 will be terminated
Study sites (1)
TX
- M D Anderson Cancer Center · Houston, TX 77030Yinghong Wang · Study contact · 713-563-4382 · ywang59@mdanderson.orgYinghong Wang · Principal investigatorMore trials in Houston