I-MAT
Immunotherapy drug trial for early-stage Merkel cell carcinoma patients
Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare, highly aggressive neuroendocrine skin cancer that affects around 300 Australians each year. Australia has the highest incidence of this cancer in the world and cases are rapidly increasing.
Even when diagnosed early, Merkel cell carcinoma has a high risk of returning, with around one-third to one-half of patients experiencing recurrence within two years.
Merkel cell carcinoma can very quickly spread to other sites of the body and is the most lethal type of skin cancer. Only around 14% of patients who develop advanced metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma are expected to survive for five years.
Treatment strategies to complement surgery and / or radiotherapy are urgently needed to prevent the cancer from metastasising and improving the survival rates for Merkel cell carcinoma patients.
The I-MAT trial, led by Melanoma and Skin Cancer Trials, is investigating the use of an immunotherapy drug after patients with early-stage Merkel cell carcinoma have had initial surgery and / or radiotherapy treatment for the cancer.
I-MAT will determine if a six-month treatment regime of Avelumab is well-tolerated and can eliminate residual microscopic cancer cells, thus reducing the risk of the cancer reoccurring and improving the overall outcomes for patients with early-stage Merkel cell carcinoma.
The trial aims to enrol 120 participants with stage I-III Merkel cell carcinoma throughout Australia, including capital cities and many regional towns.
Participants in the phase II, prospective, randomised, placebo-controlled, multi-institutional trial will receive either Avelumab or a placebo for six months, and have follow-up assessments for five years.
Trial resources
For healthcare providers and patients
I-MAT trial team
- A/Prof Wen Xu (Study Chair)
- Dr Stephen Begbie
- Prof Michael Veness
- A/Prof Alex Menzies
- Dr Ina Nordman
- A/Prof Alexander Guminski
- Dr Jenny Lee
- A/Prof Melissa Eastgate
- Dr Craig Mulhall
- Dr Joanne Tan
- A/Prof Jonathon Hill
- Dr Gareth Rivalland
- Dr Andrew Hill
- Dr Megan Lyle
- A/Prof Daniel Xing
- Dr Hayden Christie
- Dr Soe Yu Aung
- Dr Zia Ansari
- Prof Victoria Atkinson
- Prof Michael Brown
- Dr Ian Byard
- Prof Shahneen Sandhu
- Prof Mark Shackleton
Trial sites currently recruiting participants
New South Wales
Queensland
Westmead Hospital, Paramatta
Melanoma Institute Australia, Sydney
Calvary Mater Hospital, Newcastle
Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney
Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, Sydney
Port Macquarie Base Hospital, Port Macquarie
Cancer Care Wollongong, Wollongong
Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Brisbane
Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba
Tasman Health Care, Southport
Cancer Care Service, Bundaberg Base Hospital, Bundaberg
Cairns Hospital, Cairns
Cancer Care Service, Hervey Bay Hospital, Hervey Bay
Mackay Hospital and Health Service, Mackay
Townsville Hospital, Townsville
Victoria
Tasmania
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne
Alfred Hospital, Prahran
Icon Cancer Centre, Hobart
South Australia
New Zealand
Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide
Auckland City Hospital/Te Toka Tumai, Auckland
Contact and more information
I-MAT trial news
To contact the I-MAT clinical trial email imat@masc.org.au
I-MAT clinical trial Registration ID: NCT04291885
For information on how to participate in a clinical trial, click here
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