Novel treatments are needed in anal cancer. An important percentage of patients with locally advanced anal cancer will have persistent loco-regional disease or develop systemic metastases. Virtually all cases of anal cancer are related to infection by HPV. Anal cancer cells infected with HPV have the tumor associated antigen HPV E7. ADXS11-001 causes antigen presenting cells to be stimulated to facilitate immune cells to attack cancer cells expressing HPV E7. ADXS11-001, at the phase II dose of 1x109 CFU, has been shown to be safe in patients with advanced cervical cancer which also is caused by HPV infection. Anti-tumor activity and safety have been demonstrated in cervical cancer to single agent ADXS11-001 and the combination of ADXS11-001 and cisplatin chemotherapy. Data presented at ASCO 2012 ADXS11-001 is currently being evaluated in women in the United States with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. Radiation may augment the activity of ADXS11-001 increasing the exposure of tumor related antigens thereby increasing the chance for loco-regional disease eradication and preventing systemic recurrence. Therefore, ADXS11-001 may increase complete response, prevent recurrence disease and increase disease-free and overall survival in anal cancer. This protocol will develop sufficient preliminary safety and efficacy data to facilitate the investigation of ADXS11-001 in anal cancer within NRG, the newly formed cooperative group based on the merger of the RTOG, NSABP and GOG.~As described above, Phase I studies and preliminary data from phase II studies have demonstrated that ADXS11-001, 1x109 CFU, can be safely administered as a single agent and in combination with chemotherapy. For example in over 200 patients treated at the dose of 1x109CFU there have been no cases of severe listeria bacteremia or grade 3 cardiopulmonary toxicity. However, since ADXS11-001 has not previously been administered with radiation, the primary objective of this study will be to establish the safety of the addition of ADXS11-001 to chemoradiation for anal cancer. The following schedules will be assessed.~• Treatment Schedule: The first dose will be given 10-14 days prior to the initiation of chemoradiation. The 2nd-4th dosages of ADXS11-001will not be until after completion of all chemoradiation. The second dosage of ADXS11-001 will not be administered until a minimum of 10 days after completion of chemoradiation, ANC > 1,000 cells/mm3, serum creatinine < 1.5 mg/dl and all toxicities from chemoradiation have resolved to grade 2 or less. The subsequent third and fourth treatment with of ADXS11 will be administered at 28 day intervals. This will provide the needed safety data to evaluate Treatment Schedule #2.~Standard treatment with mitomycin, 5-FU and radiation for anal cancer has substantial toxicity. In RTOG 9811, 74% of patients had grade 3/4 nonhematologic toxicity and 61% of patients had grade 3 or grade 4 hematologic toxicity from this regimen. Therefore, the toxicities of standard chemoradiation with mitomycin, 5-FU and radiation are well above the conventionally accepted parameters in a phase I study even prior to adding ADXS11-001. However, it is critical that the addition of ADXS-11-001 does not compromise the delivery of potentially curative standard chemoradiation for anal cancer.
The main purpose of this study is to study the safety and effectiveness of ADXS11-001 when combined with standard chemotherapy and radiation treatment for anal cancer. ADXS11-001 is an investigational agent that is not approved by the FDA to treat anal cancer or any other cancer.