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Malignant Digestive System NeoplasmPhase 2NCT02713269

Thermal Ablation and Spine Stereotactic Radiosurgery in Treating Patients With Spine Metastases at Risk for Compressing the Spinal Cord

A Phase 2 study testing Computed Tomography, Quality-of-Life Assessment and Questionnaire Administration in people with Malignant Digestive System Neoplasm and Metastatic Head and Neck Carcinoma, run by M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at 1 site in United States.

Active, not recruiting

Under way, not looking for participants. Everyone needed has enrolled. The study is still running.

Official record
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Trial summary

This phase II clinical trial studies how well thermal ablation and spine stereotactic radiosurgery work in treating patients with cancer that has spread to the spine (spine metastases) and is at risk for compressing the spinal cord. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
What is being tested?
Computed Tomography, Quality-of-Life Assessment and Questionnaire Administration
Type of treatment
Surgery or procedure
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
60 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
29 Aug 2016to 28 Oct 2027
Phase
Phase 2
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

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 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • At least 18 years of age.
  • Histologic diagnosis of solid malignant tumor (not one of the more radiosensitive histologic subtypes, see Exclusion Criteria), including but not limited to non-small cell lung cancer, breast, prostate, renal cell, melanoma, gastrointestinal, sarcoma, thyroid, head and neck primary, and unknown primary tumors.
  • Quantification of the degree of epidural spinal cord compression as grade 1C, 2, or 3 by MRI, with and without contrast sequences. Axial T2 sequence is encouraged but not required.
  • The vertebral body site to be treated must be located from T2-T12.
  • No more than 3 contiguous or discontiguous vertebral levels involved with metastasis in the spine to be irradiated in a single session or 3 sessions.
  • Motor strength >/=4 out of 5 in extremity or extremities affected by the level of the spinal cord compression (see section 4 for grading method).
Show all 13Show fewer
  • ECOG performance status </=2 or Karnofsky performance status (KPS) >/=50
  • Life expectancy >3 months.
  • Inoperable disease because of patient refusal, neurosurgical evaluation, or any other medical reasons.
  • Women of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) before study entry and for the duration of study participation. Should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while she or her partner is participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately.
  • Prior conventional radiation to the same site is allowed as long as there is a greater than 3 months interval.
  • All patients must sign informed consent forms verifying that they are aware of the investigational nature of this study in keeping with the rules and policies of MD Anderson Cancer Center. The only acceptable consent form is one approved by the MD Anderson institutional review board.
  • Patients who do not have other options of treatment, based on consensus recommendation of the multidisciplinary spine SRS (SSRS) tumor board. Patients will have an appropriate medical oncologist for their disease.

Who cannot join

  • Primary tumors of radiosensitive histology (lymphoma, multiple myeloma, small cell carcinoma, germ cell tumors), as conventional radiation is likely to be effective in such cases.
  • Prior conventional irradiation of the spine site and level to be treated with an interval shorter than 3 months.
  • Lesions located outside of the spinal segments of T2 to T12.
  • Prior surgery to the same levels of spine.
  • Inability to lie flat on a treatment table for >60 minutes.
  • Unable to undergo MRI of the spine
  • Pregnancy (because radiation has the potential for teratogenic or abortifacient effects).
  • Frank cord compression or cord compression from bone components or configuration and acute neurological deficits (defined as motor strength <4/5 in extremity or extremities affected by the level of the spinal cord compression).

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site

  • M D Anderson Cancer Center

    Houston, Texas, 77030

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: A Phase II Clinical Trial Evaluating the Efficacy of Combining Thermal Ablation and Spine Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Patients With Spine Metastases With Moderate to Severe Epidural Involvement

This phase II clinical trial studies how well thermal ablation and spine stereotactic radiosurgery work in treating patients with cancer that has spread to the spine (spine metastases) and is at risk for compressing the spinal cord. Thermal ablation uses a laser to heat tumor tissue and helps to shrink the tumor by destroying tumor cells. Stereotactic radiosurgery delivers a large dose of radiation in a short time precisely to the tumor, sparing healthy surrounding tissue. Combining thermal ablation with stereotactic radiosurgery may be a better way to control cancer that has spread to the spine and is at risk for compressing the spinal cord.

Read the detailed description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:

  1. To document the rate of local control at 6 months in patients who receive a combination of thermal ablation and stereotactic spine radiosurgery (SSRS) for spine metastases with moderate to severe epidural involvement.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

  1. To determine local control at 1, 3, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months, and to compare to a historical control where patients received only SSRS at these time points and at 12 months.

II. To document the extent of epidural tumor regression at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18 and 24 months.

IIa. Calculate decrease in epidural tumor volume (by volumetric measurements). IIb. Calculate increase in thecal sac patency (by volumetric measurements and according to Bilsky method).

III. To determine overall survival at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. IV. To assess changes in muscle strength, location and severity of spinal-related pain, sensory function, ability to ambulate, and neurological grading at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months compared with pretreatment baselines.

  1. To assess the effect of treatment on quality of life (QOL), measured at 1 month and every 3 months after with validated outcome measure tools.

VI. To describe adverse side effects after treatment and to descriptively correlate those effects with radiographic findings, pain control, and quality of life.

OUTLINE:

Patients undergo thermal ablation and computed tomography (CT)-guided SSRS via intensity-modulated radiation therapy on different dates within a 1-14 day window. The order of treatment is at the doctor's discretion.

After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months and then every 6 months.

Being tested
Computed Tomography, Quality-of-Life Assessment, Questionnaire Administration, Stereotactic Radiosurgery, Thermal Ablation Therapy
Medical subject headings
Gastrointestinal Neoplasms, Carcinoma, Renal Cell, Neoplasms, Unknown Primary, Melanoma, Sarcoma, Spinal Cord Compression, Thyroid Neoplasms

What participants receive

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

  • Computed TomographyProcedure or surgery

    Also called CAT, CAT Scan, Computerized Axial Tomography, computerized tomography

    Undergo CT scan

  • Quality-of-Life AssessmentOther

    Also called Quality of Life Assessment

    Ancillary studies

  • Questionnaire AdministrationOther

    Ancillary studies

  • Stereotactic RadiosurgeryRadiation

    Also called Stereotactic External Beam Irradiation, stereotactic external-beam radiation therapy, stereotactic radiation therapy, Stereotactic Radiotherapy

    Undergo CT-guided SSRS

  • Thermal Ablation TherapyProcedure or surgery

    Also called thermal ablation

    Undergo thermal ablation therapy

Study groups in NCT02713269
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Treatment (thermal ablation, SSRS)ExperimentalPatients undergo thermal ablation and CT-guided SSRS via intensity-modulated radiation therapy on different dates within a 1-14 day window. The order of treatment is at the doctor's discretion.
Receives: Procedure: Computed Tomography; Other: Quality-of-Life Assessment; Other: Questionnaire Administration; Radiation: Stereotactic Radiosurgery; Procedure: Thermal Ablation Therapy

What is being measured

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

  1. Local tumor control rate

    Kaplan-Meier estimates will be used.

    Measured: At 6 months

Secondary outcomes (8)

  1. Local tumor control

    Kaplan-Meier estimates will be used. Time to local failure will be monitored continuously using a Bayesian method. Cumulative incidence of local failure will be estimated failure treating death without failure as a competing risk. Propensity score analyses will be used to compare the thermal ablation cohort with a historical cohort where patients received only stereotactic spine radiosurgery (SSRS).

    Measured: Up to 24 months

  2. Epidural control assessed by volumetric measurements

    Extent of epidural tumor regression be determined by change in epidermal tumor volume and change in thecal sac patency (by volumetric measurements and according to Bilsky method). Kaplan-Meier estimates will be used. Cumulative incidence of epidural failure will be estimated failure treating death without failure as a competing risk. Propensity score analyses will be used to compare the thermal ablation cohort with a historical cohort.

    Measured: Up to 24 months

  3. Overall survival

    Kaplan-Meier estimates will be used.

    Measured: Up to 24 months

  4. Changes in symptoms assessed by physical examination

    The Physical exam includes general exam, (HEENT) Head, Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat evaluation, chest, heart, abdomen and extremities exam. Combined with the neurotically examination results, changes at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months will be compared with pretreatment baselines. Patients with negative changes will be evaluated by the neurosurgeon and radiation oncologist to determine if the change is related to a local failure/complication or to progression of systemic disease. Kaplan-Meier estimates will be used.

    Measured: Baseline to 24 months

  5. Changes in symptoms assessed by neurological examination

    The neurological exam includes (1) mental status (tested through history taking), (2) cranial nerves (Observation of eyes, face, voice, and coordination during history taking and as patient moves about the exam room. Look for extraneous movements), (3) motor system (visual inspection, tone, muscle strength and endurance, assigned score of 0-5 for each muscle, a score of 0 would mean no muscular contraction, and a score of 5 would mean movement against full resistance, normal strength), (4) reflexes, (5) sensory system (vibration in toes; pinprick in feet; (6) coordination (Truncal stability, fine finger movement, toe tapping, finger-nose-finger, heel-knee-shin), and (7) station and gait (Gait including arising from chair without hands, walking on toes, heels, and heel to toe). Kaplan-Meier estimates will be used.

    Measured: Baseline to 24 months

  6. Changes in quality of life (QOL) assessed by the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory Spine Tumor form

    Participants are asked to recall symptom severity and interference during the past 24 hours. Part I, The severity of the symptoms, including pain, fatigue, nausea, disturbed sleep, short of breath etc. Part II, How have the symptoms interfered with patient life, including mood, work, relations with other people etc. Part I, range 0-10. A score of 0 would mean the symptom is not present and a score of 10 means the symptom is as bad as you can imagine). Part II, range 0-10 (A score of 0 would mean the symptom did not interfere; A score of 10 means the symptom has interfered completely).

    Measured: Baseline to 24 months

  7. Changes in quality of life (QOL) assessed by Brief pain inventory (BPI) form

    Participants are asked to assess the severity of pain and the impact of pain on daily functions. Severity of pain, including the pain location, worst pain in last 24 hours, least pain in last 24 hours, pain on average and pain right now. Range 0-10. A score of 0 would mean no pain and a score of 10 means the pain is as bad as you can imagine. Pain medications, amount of pain relief in the past 24 hours, and impact of pain on daily function, including general activity, mood, walking ability, normal work, relations with other people, sleep, enjoyment of life, and Range 0-10.

    Measured: Baseline to 24 months

  8. Changes in quality of life (QOL) assessed by SF-12 healthy survey (v2)

    Participants are asked to twelve questions that measure eight health domains to assess physical and mental health. Physical health-related domains include General Health (GH), Physical Functioning (PF), Role Physical (RP), and Body Pain (BP). Mental health-related scales include Vitality (VT), Social Functioning (SF), Role Emotional (RE), and Mental Health (MH). 3 and 5 point Likert scale is used in the survey. Two summary scores of the SF-12v2-physical and mental health-using the weighted means of the eight domains. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize pain relief and quality of life at each follow-up visit, which will be the changes in scores from baseline to each assessment visit. Time to maximum pain relief will be the time from the day of thermal ablation until the lowest pain score for average pain after radiotherapy.

    Measured: Baseline to 24 months

Timeline

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

  1. First posted18 Mar 2016 (estimated)
  2. Study start29 Aug 2016
  3. Primary completion28 Oct 2027 (estimated)
  4. Study completion28 Oct 2027 (estimated)

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
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
60 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02713269
Sponsor's protocol ID
2015-0223
Other IDs
NCI-2016-00683, 2015-0223, P30CA016672
Status last verified
Oct 2026
First submitted
15 Mar 2016
Last updated
7 Oct 2026
Results posted
No
FDA-regulated drug
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2 study testing Computed Tomography, Quality-of-Life Assessment and Questionnaire Administration in people with Malignant Digestive System Neoplasm and Metastatic Head and Neck Carcinoma, run by M.D. Anderson Cancer Center 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 13 inclusion and 8 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: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 7 Oct 2026. 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?

Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.

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

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

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?

Local tumor control rate (time frame: At 6 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02713269.

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 7 Oct 2026.

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