A trial of a monoclonal antibody and iodine treatment (I131-KAb201) for advanced cancer of the pancreas
Cancer type:
Status:
Phase:
This trial looked at a new treatment called I131-KAb201 for advanced cancer of the pancreas.
Doctors usually treat pancreatic cancer with chemotherapy or surgery, but unfortunately it can be difficult to treat.
The people in this trial had a new treatment called I131-KAb201. KAb201 is a monoclonal antibody. It targets a protein called 
, which is produced by some pancreatic cancers.
The ‘I131’ (or iodine 131) is radioactive iodine that is attached to the KAb201 antibody. The doctors hoped that the KAb201 antibody would bind to the pancreatic cancer cells, and that the radioactive iodine would then kill the cancer cells.
Doctors hoped that I131-KAb201 would be useful for treating pancreatic cancer that could not be removed with an operation. One group of people in this trial had I131-KAb201 into a vein. The other group had it directly into an artery near the pancreas. But this was a new and experimental treatment, and doctors were not sure how well it would work.
The aims of this trial were to
- Find the best dose of I131-KAb201 to give
- Compare having I131-Kab201 into a vein and into an artery, to see which one worked best
- Find out more about the side effects
Summary of results
The trial team found the best dose of I131-KAb201. But there was no difference in results for people having it into a vein or into an artery.
The researchers recruited 19 people to take part in this trial. Of these 19 people, 9 had I131-KAb201 into a vein and 10 had it into an artery.
The researchers were able to measure how the cancer responded in 18 of the 19 people. This showed that the cancer
- Shrank in 1 person – this is called a
partial response - Stayed the same in 1 person – this is called
stable disease - Continued to grow in 16
Overall the average time people lived was just over 5 months. There was no major difference in how long the person lived if I131-KAb201 was given into a vein or an artery.
The most common side effect was a drop in the number of blood cells.
The researchers concluded that there was no difference to having I131-KAb201 into a vein or an artery.
We have based this summary on information from the team who ran the trial. The information they sent us has been reviewed by independent specialists () and published in a medical journal. The figures we quote above were provided by the trial team. We have not analysed the data ourselves
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.
Chief Investigator
Professor John Neoptolemos
Supported by
Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC)
Xenova Biomedix Ltd
If you have questions about the trial please contact our cancer information nurses
Freephone 0808 800 4040
