A study looking at levels of chemotherapy drugs and proteins in blood samples of people with Ewing sarcoma (PK 2013 01)

Cancer type:

Children's cancers
Ewing sarcoma
Sarcoma

Status:

Results

Phase:

Pilot

This study looked at what happens to chemotherapy drugs in the body during treatment for Ewing sarcoma. It was for children and young people, as well as adults.

The study was supported by Cancer Research UK. It was open for people to join between 2014 and 2020. The team published the first results in 2025. They plan to publish more results in the future.

More about this trial

Doctors usually treat Ewing sarcoma with chemotherapy, among other treatments. When this trial was done, they often used either:

  • vincristine, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide and etoposide (VDC/IE), or
  • vincristine, ifosfamide, doxorubicin, and etoposide (VIDE)

This study looked at the way people process drugs in their body. This is called a pharmacokinetic study Open a glossary item.

The main aim of the study was to look at whether the different ways people process drugs affects:

  • their chance of having side effects from treatment
  • how well the treatment works

Summary of results

A total of 111 people were included in this study. They were between 6 months and 24 years old, and all had Ewing sarcoma.

In 2025, the team published results about who is likely to have a side effect called mucositis after chemotherapy. Mucositis is inflammation of the inside of the mouth. It is painful and can lead to mouth ulcers.

The trial team took a total of 272 blood samples. Some were taken before people had treatment. And some were taken after people had treatment. They measured the level of two proteins called CK18 and FLT3. 

CK18 is released by epithelial cells Open a glossary item when they are damaged. Epithelial cells line the surfaces of the body, including the inside of the mouth.

The team found that people who had an increase in CK18 between 2 and 5 days after chemotherapy were more likely to get more severe mucositis later on.

FLT3 plays an important role in the production of new blood cells Open a glossary item. The team didn’t find a link between the level of FLT3 and whether people got mucositis or not.

They also looked at people’s genes Open a glossary item. They think there may be a link between certain genes and whether people are likely to get mucositis. But more work needs to be done in this area.

Conclusion
The team concluded that an increase in CK18 in the first few days after chemotherapy is linked to an increased risk of severe mucositis. This is for people having VDC/IE or VIDE chemotherapy for Ewing sarcoma.

They hope that this information will help doctors decide who is most likely to benefit from treatment to help prevent mucositis.

Where this information comes from    
We have based this summary on the information in the article below. We have not analysed the data ourselves. 

This article has been reviewed by independent specialists (peer reviewed Open a glossary item) and published in a medical journal. 

Please note, the information we link to here is not in plain English. It has been written for healthcare professionals and researchers.

Find more information about what trial results mean in our information about clinical trials.

An assessment of circulating biomarkers and germline genetic variants in predicting chemotherapy associated mucositis in Ewing sarcoma
Pawan Gulati and others
EJC Paediatric Oncology, June 2025. Volume 5, article 100216.

Recruitment start:

Recruitment end:

How to join a clinical trial

Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.

Please note - unless we state otherwise in the summary, you need to talk to your doctor about joining a trial.

Chief Investigator

Professor Quentin Campbell Hewson

Supported by

Bone Cancer Research Trust 
Cancer Research UK
Sarcoma UK
The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
University of Newcastle

If you have questions about the trial please contact our cancer information nurses

Freephone 0808 800 4040

Last review date

CRUK internal database number:

11910

Please note - unless we state otherwise in the summary, you need to talk to your doctor about joining a trial.

Last reviewed:

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