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Breast CancerPULSENCT03975855

Evaluation of NeoNavia® Biopsy System in Axillary Lymph Nodes

An observational study of Breast Cancer, run by NeoDynamics AB at 7 sites in Germany.

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 aim of the study is to document performance characteristics of a biopsy device indicated for use in axillary lymph nodes, to provide basic insights into the complexity of axillary biopsy procedures and generate hypothesis for further larger comparative trials. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Breast Cancer
What is being tested?
NeoNavia® Biopsy System
Type of treatment
Medical device
How many people
140 participants
Where
7 sitesGermany
Study dates
14 Feb 2019to 11 Apr 2023
Phase
Observational
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 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Study population: Patients recruited from eight university hospitals in Germany

Who may be able to join

  • cT1-4c (multifocality / multicentricity permitted)
  • Female / male patient aged ≥ 18 years
  • cN+ based on the following criteria (at least one criteria must be met):
  • lymph node is palpable
  • cortical asymmetry (focal or diffuse cortical thickening of >3mm) under US
  • cortex:hilum ratio >2:1 under US
  • loss of hilum/cortex structure under US
  • Written informed consent (ICF)

Who cannot join

  • Suspicious lymph nodes after neoadjuvant therapy
  • No confirmed breast cancer and no abnormality in the breast
  • Patient uses Marcumar
  • Pregnant and lactating women
  • Known hypersensitivity reaction against local anesthesia
  • Prior chemo or radiation therapy in breast or axilla
  • Missing written informed consent

Trial locations and contacts

7 sites in 1 country.

7 sites in 1 country

Germany7 sites
  • Uniklinik Köln

    Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, 50226

  • HJK Erkelenz

    Erkelenz, North Rhine-Westphalia, 41812

  • Kliniken Essen-Mitte

    Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, 45136

  • Klinikum Esslingen

    Esslingen am Neckar, Baden-Wurttemberg, 73730

  • Agaplesion Markus Krankenhaus

    Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, 60431

  • Universitäts-Frauenklinik

    Rostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, 18059

  • Universitätsfrauenklinik Tübingen

    Tübingen, Baden-Wurttemberg, 72076

Other trials in Germany

About this study

Official title: Percutaneous Ultrasound-Guided Biopsy Evaluated for Axillary Lymph Node Sampling Efficacy (PULSE)

The aim of the study is to document performance characteristics of a biopsy device indicated for use in axillary lymph nodes, to provide basic insights into the complexity of axillary biopsy procedures and generate hypothesis for further larger comparative trials.

This is a Sponsor-initiated prospective, multicenter, registry trial. Patients that present with suspicious axillary lymph nodes at the time of breast cancer diagnosis undergo axillary sampling using the NeoNavia biopsy system. This is in accordance with clinical routine and current clinical guidelines. The system incorporates a new mechanism for controllable and precise needle insertion and a newly developed sampling needle for high yield sampling acquisition. It is approved for use in the breast and axillary lymph nodes.

Read the detailed description

Determining axillary nodal status at the time of diagnosis is paramount for optimal staging and treatment planning. SLNB is indicated for patients with a clinical and radiological negative axilla. 25%-43% of breast cancer patients are reported to present with radiologically suspicious axillary lymph nodes at the time of diagnosis. In these patients, a pre-operative ultrasound-guided needle sampling of suspicious axillary lymph tissue is indicated.

This can rationalize patient care by identifying those with axillary metastases using merely a minimally-invasive intervention. These patients can be counselled with regards to proceeding directly to definitive axillary surgery in the form of axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) rather than sentinel node biopsy (SLNB), thereby omitting a potentially unnecessary surgical procedure. Patients with a negative axillary status can proceed to SLNB for definitive nodal status determination. Furthermore, in the paradigm of neoadjuvant treatment, confirming a histopathologic involvement of lymph nodes by US-guided needle biopsies enables for decision on neoadjuvant chemotherapy without the need for a surgical procedure.

The main challenge in performing CNB (Core Needle Biopsy) within the axilla is to avoid damaging the major vessels and nerves. Technical, operator and procedural requirements that mitigate risks in CNB sampling of the axilla have been reported in the literature. It is suggested that the operator shall fully acknowledge the detailed anatomy including vessels and nerves in the axilla, have good hand-eye coordination as well as be experienced in US-guided interventions. Proper positioning of the patient is reported to be important. Color Doppler ultrasound shall be used to assess the location of large vessels relative to the intended biopsy track and to avoid sampling a vascular component of the node. Perfect guiding and visualization of the needle tip at all times is reported to be essential. It is suggested that a biopsy device with a controllable needle action is safer to use. Omitting the firing action gives the operator greater control over the final needle tip placement.

Due to the difficulty of the procedure there may be inclusion bias in the reported studies. In one series, patients presenting with nodes adjacent to a vessel or located very deep and difficult to access were not asked to participate in the study and hence not subjected to CNB. In another study FNA (Fine Needle Aspiration) was performed instead of CNB when the lymph nodes were in close proximity to vessels. A recent German survey showed that merely 79% of breast centers (41/52) perform biopsies in the axilla (data on file), and anecdotal evidence suggests that in certain departments only the most experienced physician performs CNB procedures in axillary lymph nodes, risking economic/operational inefficiencies.

For the purpose of documenting the prevalence and composition of cases deemed challenging in this study, an experienced expert panel has compiled a comprehensive list of risk parameters characterizing the anatomic complexity and procedural difficulty of axillary lymph node needle biopsies.

Recently a new biopsy device indicated for the use in breast and axillary lymph nodes (NeoNavia biopsy system, NeoDynamics, Sweden) has become available. It incorporates a pneumatic needle insertion mechanism that is intended to provide better control of needle progression and enable stepwise insertion without noticeable deformation or displacement of surrounding tissue as visualized under ultrasound. Furthermore a new method of tissue acquisition is employed that has pre-clinically shown a higher sampling yield compared to CNB. These characteristics indicate that the device could be well suited for tackling even the most challenging cases of axillary lymph node biopsies. Initial clinical results indicate that in axillary lesions deemed "technically difficult", i.e. where prior US-guided biopsies with CNB or FNA had yielded non-diagnostic histology results, the NeoNavia device performed successfully thereby significantly altering clinical management.

Conditions
Breast Cancer
Being tested
NeoNavia® Biopsy System
Keywords
Breast Cancer, Axillary Lymph Nodes, Biopsy
Medical subject headings
Breast Neoplasms

What participants receive

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

  • NeoNavia® Biopsy SystemDevice

    Biopsy of axillary lymph node using the NeoNavia Biopsy System. The investigator shall obtain as many/large samples as judged adequate and sufficient for diagnosis.

Study groups in NCT03975855
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Suspicious axillary lymph nodesAll patients with histologically confirmed breast cancer or highly suspicious breast lesions presenting with suspicious axillary lymph nodes
Receives: Device: NeoNavia® Biopsy System

What is being measured

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

  1. Rate of successful biopsies (= success rates)

    Lymph node tissue present in biopsy samples as assessed by histopathologist

    Measured: after histopathological analysis af tissue samples, up to 1 week after biopsy

Secondary outcomes (5)
  1. Rate of patients presenting with risk parameters for an anatomically complex procedure

    Based on a list of parameters established by an expert panel to characterize the anatomic complexity of axillary biopsy procedures

    Measured: time of biopsy, 1 day

  2. Rate of cases in which it was possible to target the selected lymph node or, if present, the lesion inside the node

    Measured: time of biopsy, 1 day

  3. Rate of cases in which pulses facilitated control during needle insertion

    Measured: time of biopsy, 1 day

  4. Sensitivity

    Measured: post-surgery, up to 200 days

  5. Specificity

    Measured: post-surgery, up to 200 days

Timeline

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

  1. First posted5 Jun 2019
  2. Study start14 Feb 2019
  3. Primary completion30 Jun 2021
  4. Study completion11 Apr 2023

Resources

More details

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

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Case only
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
140 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03975855
Sponsor's protocol ID
NEODOC-2021668610-165
Acronym
PULSE
Status last verified
Jun 2023
First submitted
29 May 2019
Last updated
6 Jun 2023
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No

Publications

  • Schassburger KU, Paepke S, Saracco A, Azavedo E, Ekstrom C, Wiksell H. High velocity pulse biopsy device enables controllable and precise needle insertion and high yield tissue acquisition. Phys Med. 2018 Feb;46:25-31. doi: 10.1016/j.ejmp.2017.12.014. Epub 2018 Jan 30.

    PubMed 29519406
  • Gruber I, Hahn M, Fehm T, Hann von Weyhern C, Stabler A, Winckelmann A, Wallwiener D, Kuhn T. Relevance and methods of interventional breast sonography in preoperative axillary lymph node staging. Ultraschall Med. 2012 Aug;33(4):337-43. doi: 10.1055/s-0031-1273317. Epub 2011 May 26.

    PubMed 21618166
  • Nakamura R, Yamamoto N, Miyaki T, Itami M, Shina N, Ohtsuka M. Impact of sentinel lymph node biopsy by ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy for patients with suspicious node positive breast cancer. Breast Cancer. 2018 Jan;25(1):86-93. doi: 10.1007/s12282-017-0795-7. Epub 2017 Jul 22.

    PubMed 28735457
  • Garcia-Ortega MJ, Benito MA, Vahamonde EF, Torres PR, Velasco AB, Paredes MM. Pretreatment axillary ultrasonography and core biopsy in patients with suspected breast cancer: diagnostic accuracy and impact on management. Eur J Radiol. 2011 Jul;79(1):64-72. doi: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2009.12.011. Epub 2010 Jan 4.

    PubMed 20047809
  • Abe H, Schmidt RA, Kulkarni K, Sennett CA, Mueller JS, Newstead GM. Axillary lymph nodes suspicious for breast cancer metastasis: sampling with US-guided 14-gauge core-needle biopsy--clinical experience in 100 patients. Radiology. 2009 Jan;250(1):41-9. doi: 10.1148/radiol.2493071483. Epub 2008 Oct 27.

    PubMed 18955508
  • Kim KH, Son EJ, Kim EK, Ko KH, Kang H, Oh KK. The safety and efficiency of the ultrasound-guided large needle core biopsy of axilla lymph nodes. Yonsei Med J. 2008 Apr 30;49(2):249-54. doi: 10.3349/ymj.2008.49.2.249.

    PubMed 18452262
  • Ganott MA, Zuley ML, Abrams GS, Lu AH, Kelly AE, Sumkin JH, Chivukula M, Carter G, Austin RM, Bandos AI. Ultrasound Guided Core Biopsy versus Fine Needle Aspiration for Evaluation of Axillary Lymphadenopathy in Patients with Breast Cancer. ISRN Oncol. 2014 Feb 4;2014:703160. doi: 10.1155/2014/703160. eCollection 2014.

    PubMed 24649373
  • Damera A, Evans AJ, Cornford EJ, Wilson AR, Burrell HC, James JJ, Pinder SE, Ellis IO, Lee AH, Macmillan RD. Diagnosis of axillary nodal metastases by ultrasound-guided core biopsy in primary operable breast cancer. Br J Cancer. 2003 Oct 6;89(7):1310-3. doi: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6601290.

    PubMed 14520465

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Breast Cancer, run by NeoDynamics AB at 7 sites in Germany.

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 8 inclusion and 7 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 6 Jun 2023. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 7 sites in Germany. 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.

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?

Rate of successful biopsies (= success rates) (time frame: after histopathological analysis af tissue samples, up to 1 week after biopsy). 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 NCT03975855, which also lists 8 linked publications.

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 6 Jun 2023.

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