Perioperative Use of a β-adrenergic Blocker, Propranolol, and a COX2 Inhibitor, Etodolac, in Patients Undergoing Resection With Curative Intent for Primary Colon and Rectal Cancer: Effect on Tumor Recurrence and Survival
The short perioperative period (days to weeks around surgery) is characterized by stress-inflammatory responses, including catecholamines (CAs, e.g., adrenaline) and prostaglandins (PGs, e.g., prostaglandin-E2) release, and induce deleterious pro-metastatic effects. Animal studies implicated excess perioperative release of CAs and PGs in facilitating cancer progression by affecting the malignant tissue, its local environment, and anti-metastatic immune functions. Congruently, animal studies conducted by the investigators indicate that combined use of the beta-adrenergic blocker, propranolol, and the prostaglandins inhibitor, etodolac - but neither drug separately - efficiently prevented post-operative metastatic development. Two recently conducted clinical trials, conducted by the investigators, in three medical centers in Israel, recruiting breast (n=38) and colorectal (n=34) cancer patients, assessing the safety and short-term efficacy of perioperative propranolol and etodolac treatment. Drugs were well tolerated, without severe adverse events. Importantly, molecular/biological analyses of the excised primary tumor indicated that drug treatment caused promising anti-metastatic transformations, as well as improvements in immune and inflammatory indices. These included (i) decreased tumor cell capacity to migrate, (ii) reduced pro-metastatic capacity of the malignant tissue, and (iii) improvement in immune infiltrating into the tumor (Paper published in Clinical Cancer Research, 2017). Herein, the investigators propose to conduct a double-blind placebo-controlled two-arm Phase II clinical trial in 200 colorectal cancer patients undergoing curative surgery in Israel. A perioperative 20-day drug treatment will be initiated 5 days before surgery. Primary outcomes will include (i) 3-year disease-free-survival (DFS), and 5-year overall survival (OS); and (ii) biological markers in blood samples, and in the excised tumor tissue. Secondary outcomes will include safety indices and psychological measures of depression, anxiety, distress, and fatigue
• 1\. Patients planned for surgery for primary resection of colon or rectal cancer with curative intent. 2. Single colonic or rectal carcinoma, proven by full colonoscopy and tumor biopsy. 3. No evidence of metastatic disease prior to surgery. Minimal workup would include abdominal CT with IV contrast (or CT+liver US) and chest XR. 4. ASA score of 1-3 or ECOG Performance Status of 0 to 1 5. Signed informed consent form 6. Willing and able to comply with study procedures (physically and mentally) 7. Men and women from age 20 to age 80
• \-