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Breast CancerEarly Phase 1NCT01980823

Pre-Surgical Trial of the Combination of Metformin and Atorvastatin in Newly Diagnosed Operable Breast Cancer

A Early Phase 1 study testing Metformin, Atorvastatin and Breast surgery in people with Breast Cancer and Breast Tumors, run by Columbia University at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of combining metformin and atorvastatin treatment in patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer during the interval between breast biopsy and surgery. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 21 years and older, women only
Conditions the study is for
Breast Cancer, Breast Tumors, Cancer of Breast
What is being tested?
Metformin, Atorvastatin and Breast surgery
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
23 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Oct 2013to Dec 2022
Phase
Early Phase 1
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 21 years and older
  • Women only
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Female subjects with histologically-confirmed operable invasive breast cancer or DCIS, who undergo core needle biopsy followed by surgical excision at least 2 weeks after enrollment
  • ≥ 5 mm by imaging/pathology of core to ensure enough pre- and post-treatment tissue for analysis
  • Age ≥ 21 years. Breast cancer is uncommon in patients less than this age.
  • No prior chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or breast resection within 6 months of study entry
  • Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status 0-1
  • Signed informed consent

Who cannot join

  • Currently on medication for diabetes or hypercholesterolemia
  • Treatment with other investigational drugs within 6 months of study entry
  • Strong Cytochrome P450 3A4 (abbreviated CYP3A4) (e.g., clarithromycin, HIV protease inhibitors, and itraconazole), given potential interactions with atorvastatin
  • Renal impairment with a creatinine > 1.4 mg/dl
  • Hepatic impairment: Aspartate transaminase (AST)/(SGOT), Alanine Transaminase(ALT)/(SGPT) ≥ 2.5 x upper limit of normal range (ULN), OR Total bilirubin ≥ 1.5 x ULN (subjects with Gilbert's syndrome can have bilirubin of up to 1.5 x ULN), OR Alkaline phosphatase > 2.5 x ULN

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • Columbia University Medical Center - Herbert Irving Cancer Center

    New York, New York, 10032

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Pre-Surgical "Window of Opportunity" Trial of the Combination of Metformin and Atorvastatin in Newly Diagnosed Operable Breast Cancer

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of combining metformin and atorvastatin treatment in patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer during the interval between breast biopsy and surgery.

This study is designed to assess whether tumor proliferation, as measured by the natural log expression of Ki-67 staining of breast tumor cells, is reduced following approximately 2 weeks of treatment with the combination of metformin plus atorvastatin in patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer.

Read the detailed description

Breast cancer cells require energy homeostasis shifts with enhanced anabolism to enable rapid growth and continued proliferation. The main energy regulatory system in eukaryotes and breast cancer cells is the AMP-activated kinase (AMPK) pathway. AMPK is triggered by changes in the AMP/Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) ratio thus impacting energy reserves and requirements. AMPK pathway closely interacts with the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway, affecting the downstream function of the master regulator mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Activation of AMPK has been shown in vitro to result in inhibition of proliferation of various cancer cell lines.

Utilizing a pre-surgical model, the investigator plans to conduct a pilot study of 40 women with newly diagnosed invasive breast cancer or ductal carcinoma in-situ (DCIS) who will receive oral metformin and atorvastatin daily in the interval between diagnostic breast biopsy and definitive breast surgery.

The goal is to determine if dual combination treatment with metformin plus atorvastatin significantly impacts tumor-based markers, such as proliferation, and blood-based biomarkers.

Being tested
Metformin, Atorvastatin, Breast surgery
Keywords
Breast Cancer, Metformin, Atorvastatin, Ki-67
Medical subject headings
Breast Neoplasms

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • MetforminDrug

    Also called Glucophage

    Metformin is an oral diabetes medicine that helps control blood sugar levels.

    Dosage/Frequency: 1500 mg per day: divided 500 mg in the morning and 1000 mg in the evening

    Metformin is for people with type 2 diabetes. Metformin is sometimes used in combination with insulin or other medications, but it is not for treating type 1 diabetes.

  • AtorvastatinDrug

    Also called Lipitor

    Atorvastatin is in a group of drugs called "statins." Atorvastatin reduces levels of "bad" cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, or LDL) and triglycerides in the blood while increasing levels of "good" cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein, or HDL).

    Dosage/Frequency: 80 mg once a day at bedtime

    Atorvastatin is used to treat high cholesterol, and to lower the risk of stroke, heart attack, or other heart complications in people with type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, or other risk factors.

  • Breast surgeryProcedure or surgery

    Also called No other name

    (Non-experimental) Female subjects with histologically-confirmed operable invasive breast cancer or DCIS will undergo core needle biopsy with a plan of surgical excision.

Study groups in NCT01980823
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Metformin-Atorvastatin combinationExperimentalPatients will receive metformin and atorvastatin for approximately 2 weeks prior to breast surgery.
Receives: Drug: Metformin; Drug: Atorvastatin; Procedure: Breast surgery

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change in tissue levels of the proliferation marker Ki-67

    Tumor proliferation, as measured by the natural log expression of Ki-67 staining of breast tumor cells.

    Measured: Baseline, 2 weeks after start of treatment

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted11 Nov 2013 (estimated)
  2. Study startOct 2013
  3. Primary completion24 May 2018
  4. Study completionDec 2022

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Early Phase 1
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
23 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01980823
Sponsor's protocol ID
AAAM2306
Status last verified
Aug 2023
First submitted
5 Nov 2013
Last updated
30 Aug 2023
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Early Phase 1 study testing Metformin, Atorvastatin and Breast surgery in people with Breast Cancer and Breast Tumors, run by Columbia University at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 30 Aug 2023. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Early Phase 1 (sometimes called Phase 0) studies give a very small amount of a treatment to a few people, mainly to see how the body handles it.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in tissue levels of the proliferation marker Ki-67 (time frame: Baseline, 2 weeks after start of treatment). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 30 Aug 2023; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 8 Nov 2026.

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