Pancreatic CancerPhase 2IMPULSNCT06145074
Examining Safety, Efficacy and Feasibility of Preoperative Propranolol in Patients With PDAC.
A Phase 2 study testing Propranolol in people with Pancreatic Cancer and Surgery, run by Zealand University Hospital at 2 sites in Denmark.
Trial summary
The IMPULS trial is a randomized, triple-blinded, placebo controlled, single center, pilot trial examining the efficacy and safety of preoperative propranolol in patients scheduled for pancreatic cancer surgery. The study is conducted as a type 1 hybrid efficacy-implementation trial of 30 patients. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Pancreatic Cancer, Surgery
- What is being tested?
- Propranolol
- Type of treatment
- Pill or oral medicine
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 30 participants
- Where
- 2 sitesDenmark
- Study dates
- 20 Mar 2024to 31 Dec 2035
- 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
- Patients with suspected surgically resectable pancreatic cancer
- Indication for surgical treatment with curative intend.
- Provide written informed consent.
- Patients minimum 18 years old.
- Women of childbearing potential (WOCBP) are defined as women ranging from the period of menarche till the post-menopausal period, unless permanently sterile (e.g., hysterectomy, bilateral salpingectomy and bilateral oophorectomy). Post-menopause is defined as no menses for 12 months without an alternative medical cause.
- WOCBP should use a secure and highly effective birth control (as stated in the "Recommendations related to contraception and pregnancy testing in clinical trials", version 1.1., section 4.1, from the Clinical Trials Facilitation and Coordination Group) during the entire period of the trial. In cases of uncertainty regarding pregnancy, additional pregnancy testing either as highly sensitive serum or urine pregnancy test can be used.
Who cannot join
- Patients with:
- Chronic hypotension, systolic blood pressure < 100 mg Hg for women and < 110 mg Hg for men.
- Bradycardia, pulse < 50 beats per minute.
- Asthma or chronic obstructive lung disease
- Heart insufficiency with affected (< 50 %) left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF), treated or untreated.
- Kidney insufficiency, defined as eGFR < 20 ml/min.
Show all 22Show fewer
- Liver insufficiency defined as chronically high liver enzymes or known chronic liver disease (e.g., hepatitis, steatosis, cirrhosis).
- Cor pulmonale
- Cardiogenic shock
- Severe peripheral circulatory disorders
- Known or newly diagnosed current metabolic acidosis (e.g., in recent analysis of arterial puncture).
- Known hypersensitivity to propranolol or to one or more of the excipients.
- Currently untreated pheochromocytoma.
- History of Prinzmetals angina.
- History of sick sinus syndrome or atrioventricular block.
- History of stroke or any previous cardiovascular event.
- History of neoadjuvant oncological treatment for suspected primary pancreatic cancer.
- Recent or present (within 3 months) use of propranolol or any other beta-blocker.
- Recent or present (within 3 months) use of any of the following medications: anxiolytics, calcium channel blockers, beta-adrenergic receptor agonist.
- Medical history that classifies the patient as frail or unsuitable for inclusion by the examining physician.
- Histopathological examination revealing benign lesion.
- Predictable poor compliance, due to pre-existing psychiatric disease, dementia or not able to read or speak sufficient Danish, resulting in not being able to provide a well-informed written consent.
Trial locations and contacts
2 sites in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Denmark2 sites, 2 recruiting
- Recruiting
Department of Surgical Gastroenterology
Copenhagen, 2200
Stefan K Burgdorf, MD, PhD, +4535458225, stefan.kobbelgaard.burgdorf.02@regionh.dk
- Not yet recruiting
Ismail Gögenur
Køge, 4600
Ismail Gögenur, Prof., +4547323181, igo@regionsjaelland.dk
Adile Orhan, MD, +4560807762, aor@regionsjaelland.dk
About this study
Official title: Examining the Impact of Propranolol on Preoperative Anxiety and on Tumorigenic Changes in Patients With Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinomas: a Randomized, Triple-blinded, Placebo-controlled Pilot Trial
The IMPULS trial is a randomized, triple-blinded, placebo controlled, single center, pilot trial examining the efficacy and safety of preoperative propranolol in patients scheduled for pancreatic cancer surgery. The study is conducted as a type 1 hybrid efficacy-implementation trial of 30 patients.
This study is designed to provide pilot data for a future larger perioperative study of propranolol with the aim of improving outcomes for pancreatic cancer surgery.
Read more
In total, 30 participants will be allocated in a 1:1 ratio with 15 participants enrolled in each trial arm (propranolol vs. placebo). Participants will be allocated to either 40 mg propranolol twice daily or placebo twice daily in 10 days prior to planned surgery.
Primary outcomes: Evaluating the efficacy of preoperative propranolol on anxiety and in pro-tumorigenic changes (e.g., in the tumor tissue and in blood samples) in patients undergoing surgery for pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, to obtain follow up data (e.g., 90-day mortality, postoperative complications etc. on the patients receiving propranolol versus placebo). Heart rate variability among the participants will also be examined.
Secondary: Examining the safety and tolerability of 40 mg preoperative propranolol twice daily in patients undergoing surgery for pancreatic cancer.
Tertiary: Evaluating the feasibility and implementation of the trial (using the APEASE framework). This will help identify barriers and enablers to a future larger study.
Short-time propranolol treatment is considered safe with a mild and manageable safety-profile. Risk-management, mitigations and guidelines to ensure patient safety is included in the protocol. Since this clinical trial is exploratory in nature, no sample-size calculation is performed.
Read the detailed description
The study will be conducted as a pilot study to test efficacy, safety and feasibility of propranolol on preoperative anxiety in patients undergoing abdominal surgery for suspected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Furthermore, the implementation of the trial including compliance of the participants in a hybrid type 1 setup will be examined.
A total of 30 participants will be included and randomized to receive either propranolol or placebo twice daily with 15 patients in each arm. Following this study, a power calculation will be done to reveal the actual number of needed participants in each arm for a potential follow-up randomized clinical trial on primary outcomes of interest. Thus, the results from this study can be used for future power calculations for clinical trials related to this topic.
Primary objectives: Efficacy
Evaluating the efficacy of preoperative propranolol on patient-experienced anxiety and on tumorigenic gene expression compared to placebo is the primary objective of this trial.
Primary objectives are further divided in to primary clinical objectives, primary translational objectives and exploratory endpoints.
Primary clinical objectives:
The primary clinical objectives are to evaluate preoperative patient-experienced anxiety in patients receiving the nonselective beta-2-adrenergic receptor inhibitor, propranolol, compared to placebo.
Further, heart rate variability (HRV) will be measured in order to evaluate changes in the autonomous nervous system in relation to surgery. HRV is calculated from the interval variation between consecutive R waves in an ECG time series and results suggest that it is associated with the intra- and postoperative complications. As HRV reflects sinoatrial node regulation, it is expected to be affected by the beta-adrenergic blockade caused by preoperative propranolol. Analyzing this relation will provide essential knowledge in understanding how HRV behaves perioperatively.
Lastly, follow up on the participants receiving propranolol compared to placebo will be done.
Primary clinical effect parameters:
The following primary effect parameters will be used to investigate the primary clinical objectives:
- Anxiety levels will primarily be measured by The Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) and secondarily by The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) quality of life questionnaire (QoL) for pancreatic cancer will be used to assess quality of life.
- HRV is calculated from continuous ECG gathered by a Holter monitor. The monitor is a small wearable apparatus with one lead, placed on the patient's sternum. It is applied on preoperative day 9 and will run continually until approximately postoperative day 7. The actual calculations are achieved post hoc using software specialized for HRV analysis.
- Follow up at 30- and 90-days after surgery including parameters such as survival and postoperative complications.
- Long-term follow up at as 1-year, 3- year and 5-year following surgery including survival and recurrence data.
Primary translational objectives:
The primary translational objectives are to examine the systemic (biochemical) and local changes (TME of resections) to propranolol treatment compared to placebo. Alterations in pro-metastatic and proinflammatory genes will specifically be analyzed.
Primary translational effect parameters:
- Blood sampling for the analysis of pro-metastatic and proinflammatory biomarkers.
- Expression of pro-metastatic and proinflammatory genes in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) cancer tissue obtained after surgical resection.
Exploratory endpoints:
The potential influence of inter-participant genetic variations (pharmacogenetics) on measured levels of serum propranolol and response to surgical stress will be investigated as exploratory endpoints. The differences in drug metabolism (pharmacokinetics) among participants will also be of interest.
Secondary objectives: Safety
Secondarily, tolerance and safety of the intervention in this pilot study (e.g., adverse effects, number of patients that need dose reduction etc.) will be evaluated. Changes in heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) during the intervention period will be examined to test safety and tolerability of preoperative propranolol.
Secondary effect parameters:
- Measuring the changes in resting HR and BP during the intervention period with handed out blood pressure monitors.
- Safety endpoints: light-headedness, lethargy, hypotension, bradycardia and other symptoms and side-effects that may be related to propranolol treatment.
Tertiary objectives: Feasibility
Additionally, the feasibility of this intervention using the APEASE framework, which assesses factors like affordability, practicability, effectiveness, acceptability, side-effects, and equity, thereby determining the willingness to adopt this strategy will be examined. This will help identify barriers and enablers to a future larger study. The details regarding the APEASE framework are described under assessments.
This trial will be conducted in accordance with the principles of Good Clinical Practice and reported according to the CONSORT and the complimentary StaRI standards for implementation studies.
- Conditions
- Pancreatic Cancer, Surgery
- Being tested
- Propranolol, Placebo
- Keywords
- Propranolol, Beta-Blockers, PDAC, Pancreatic Cancer
- Medical subject headings
- Pancreatic Neoplasms
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
PropranololDrug
Also called Inderal, Propal
Oral administration.
PlaceboDrug
Also called Inactive drug
Oral administration.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Propranolol | Experimental | Propranolol will be administered 40 mg twice daily (morning and evening) in 10 days prior to surgery for pancreatic cancer Receives: Drug: Propranolol |
| Placebo | Placebo comparator | Placebo will be administered twice daily (morning and evening) in 10 days prior to surgery for pancreatic cancer. Receives: Drug: Placebo |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Preoperative anxiety
Assessed through the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA) questionnaire
Measured: Obtained preoperatively at baseline (immediately after inclusion) and immediately after intervention (before surgery)
Preoperative anxiety and depression
Assessed through the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) questionnaire
Measured: Obtained preoperatively at baseline (immediately after inclusion) and immediately after intervention (before surgery)
Preoperative quality of life
Preoperative quality of life assessed through the quality of life questionnaire.
Measured: Obtained preoperatively at baseline (immediately after inclusion) and immediately after intervention (before surgery)
Density and subtypes of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in the tumor microenvironment.
Histopathological assessment of the density and subtypes of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes.
Immunohistochemistry technique will be used.
Measured: Through study completion. At latest within 1 year from last participant completes trial.
Desmoplasia in the tumor microenvironment.
Histopathological assessment of desmoplasia in the tumor microenvironment.
Immunohistochemistry technique will be used.
Measured: Through study completion. At latest within 1 year from last participant completes trial.
Neural markers in the tumor microenvironment.
Histopathological assessment of neural marker expression (e.g., NGF, BDNF, tyrosin hydroxylase)
Immunohistochemistry technique will be used.
Measured: Through study completion. At latest within 1 year from last participant completes trial.
Adrenergic receptor (ADRB1&ADRB2) expression in the tumor microenvironment.
Histopathological assessment of the expression of adrenergic receptors (ADRB1 and ADRB2).
Immunohistochemistry technique will be used for this purpose.
Measured: Through study completion. At latest within 1 year from last participant completes trial.
Spatial distribution of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment.
Spatial distribution of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment using Immunohistochemistry technique and NanoString GeoMx techniques will be used for this purpose.
Measured: Through study completion. At latest within 1 year from last participant completes trial.
Immune cells and subtypes in blood samples
Assessing the number and subsets of immune cells in the obtained blood samples before and after propranolol treatment and between the two arms (propranolol versus placebo). This will be examined through FlowCytometry.
Measured: Through study completion. At latest within 1 year from last participant completes trial.
Circulating tumor cells before and after intervention in blood samples.
Assessment of circulating tumor cells in blood samples before and after intervention.
Measured: Through study completion. At latest within 1 year from last participant completes trial.
RNA-level gene expression in blood samples.
RNA-level expression of genes related to immune-surveillance through NanoString nCounter technique.
Measured: Through study completion. At latest within 1 year from last participant completes trial.
Heart rate variability in both trial arms
Examining differences in heart rate variability among participants and between intervention and comparator group.
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 1 year.
Postoperative complications
Assessment of postoperative complications based on the Clavien-Dindo Score (CD) ranging from I to V, where I is any decline from normal postoperative course and V is death of patient.
Measured: After participant finishes trial and when last follow up (5 years from surgery) date is due.
Survival 30-days after surgery
Assessment of survival 30 days after surgery.
Measured: After participant finishes trial and when last follow up (5 years from surgery) date is due.
Survival 90-days after surgery
Assessment of survival 90 days after surgery.
Measured: After participant finishes trial and when last follow up (5 years from surgery) date is due.
Overall survival 1-year after surgery
Assessment of overall surival 1-year after surgery
Measured: After participant finishes trial and when last follow up (5 years from surgery) date is due.
Overall survival 3-years after surgery
Assessment of overall survival 3-years after surgery
Measured: After participant finishes trial and when last follow up (5 years from surgery) date is due.
Overall survival 5-years after surgery
Assessment of overall survival 5-years after surgery
Measured: After participant finishes trial and when last follow up (5 years from surgery) date is due.
Secondary outcomes (2)
Safety of 40 mg propranolol twice daily on blood pressure.
Examining the safety of preoperative propranolol 40 mg twice daily prior to elective surgery for pancreatic cancer by continuous at-home measurements of blood pressure twice daily during the intervention period.
Measured: Through study completion, within 14 days after surgery.
Safety of 40 mg propranolol twice daily on heart rate.
Examining the safety of preoperative propranolol 40 mg twice daily prior to elective surgery for pancreatic cancer by continuous at-home measurements of heart rate twice daily during the intervention period.
Measured: Through study completion, within 14 days after surgery.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted22 Nov 2023
- Study start20 Mar 2024
- Primary completion31 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Dec 2035 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Pancreatic CancerStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Zealand University HospitalThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
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
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Triple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Care provider, Investigator
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Zealand University Hospital
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Ismail Gögenur, Professor, Principal investigator, Center for Surgical Science, Zealand University Hospital
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06145074
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- EU CT 2023-506553-37-00
- Acronym
- IMPULS
- Status last verified
- Nov 2023
- First submitted
- 8 Nov 2023
- Last updated
- 28 Mar 2024
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 28 Mar 2024. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Examining the Impact of Propranolol on Preoperative Anxiety and on Tumorigenic Changes in Patients With Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinomas: a Randomized, Triple-blinded, Placebo-controlled Pilot Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06145074
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- IMPULS / EU CT 2023-506553-37-00
- Conditions
- Pancreatic Cancer, Surgery
- Keywords
- Propranolol, Beta-Blockers, PDAC, Pancreatic Cancer
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Zealand University HospitalUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet
- Study start
- 20 Mar 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Dec 2035 (estimated)
- First posted
- 22 Nov 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The IMPULS trial is a randomized, triple-blinded, placebo controlled, single center, pilot trial examining the efficacy and safety of preoperative propranolol in patients scheduled for pancreatic cancer surgery. The study is conducted as a type 1 hybrid efficacy-implementation trial of 30 patients.
This study is designed to provide pilot data for a future larger perioperative study of propranolol with the aim of improving outcomes for pancreatic cancer surgery.
In total, 30 participants will be allocated in a 1:1 ratio with 15 participants enrolled in each trial arm (propranolol vs. placebo). Participants will be allocated to either 40 mg propranolol twice daily or placebo twice daily in 10 days prior to planned surgery.
Primary outcomes: Evaluating the efficacy of preoperative propranolol on anxiety and in pro-tumorigenic changes (e.g., in the tumor tissue and in blood samples) in patients undergoing surgery for pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, to obtain follow up data (e.g., 90-day mortality, postoperative complications etc. on the patients receiving propranolol versus placebo). Heart rate variability among the participants will also be examined.
Secondary: Examining the safety and tolerability of 40 mg preoperative propranolol twice daily in patients undergoing surgery for pancreatic cancer.
Tertiary: Evaluating the feasibility and implementation of the trial (using the APEASE framework). This will help identify barriers and enablers to a future larger study.
Short-time propranolol treatment is considered safe with a mild and manageable safety-profile. Risk-management, mitigations and guidelines to ensure patient safety is included in the protocol. Since this clinical trial is exploratory in nature, no sample-size calculation is performed.
Detailed description
The study will be conducted as a pilot study to test efficacy, safety and feasibility of propranolol on preoperative anxiety in patients undergoing abdominal surgery for suspected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Furthermore, the implementation of the trial including compliance of the participants in a hybrid type 1 setup will be examined.
A total of 30 participants will be included and randomized to receive either propranolol or placebo twice daily with 15 patients in each arm. Following this study, a power calculation will be done to reveal the actual number of needed participants in each arm for a potential follow-up randomized clinical trial on primary outcomes of interest. Thus, the results from this study can be used for future power calculations for clinical trials related to this topic.
Primary objectives: Efficacy
Evaluating the efficacy of preoperative propranolol on patient-experienced anxiety and on tumorigenic gene expression compared to placebo is the primary objective of this trial.
Primary objectives are further divided in to primary clinical objectives, primary translational objectives and exploratory endpoints.
Primary clinical objectives:
The primary clinical objectives are to evaluate preoperative patient-experienced anxiety in patients receiving the nonselective beta-2-adrenergic receptor inhibitor, propranolol, compared to placebo.
Further, heart rate variability (HRV) will be measured in order to evaluate changes in the autonomous nervous system in relation to surgery. HRV is calculated from the interval variation between consecutive R waves in an ECG time series and results suggest that it is associated with the intra- and postoperative complications. As HRV reflects sinoatrial node regulation, it is expected to be affected by the beta-adrenergic blockade caused by preoperative propranolol. Analyzing this relation will provide essential knowledge in understanding how HRV behaves perioperatively.
Lastly, follow up on the participants receiving propranolol compared to placebo will be done.
Primary clinical effect parameters:
The following primary effect parameters will be used to investigate the primary clinical objectives:
- Anxiety levels will primarily be measured by The Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) and secondarily by The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) quality of life questionnaire (QoL) for pancreatic cancer will be used to assess quality of life.
- HRV is calculated from continuous ECG gathered by a Holter monitor. The monitor is a small wearable apparatus with one lead, placed on the patient's sternum. It is applied on preoperative day 9 and will run continually until approximately postoperative day 7. The actual calculations are achieved post hoc using software specialized for HRV analysis.
- Follow up at 30- and 90-days after surgery including parameters such as survival and postoperative complications.
- Long-term follow up at as 1-year, 3- year and 5-year following surgery including survival and recurrence data.
Primary translational objectives:
The primary translational objectives are to examine the systemic (biochemical) and local changes (TME of resections) to propranolol treatment compared to placebo. Alterations in pro-metastatic and proinflammatory genes will specifically be analyzed.
Primary translational effect parameters:
- Blood sampling for the analysis of pro-metastatic and proinflammatory biomarkers.
- Expression of pro-metastatic and proinflammatory genes in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) cancer tissue obtained after surgical resection.
Exploratory endpoints:
The potential influence of inter-participant genetic variations (pharmacogenetics) on measured levels of serum propranolol and response to surgical stress will be investigated as exploratory endpoints. The differences in drug metabolism (pharmacokinetics) among participants will also be of interest.
Secondary objectives: Safety
Secondarily, tolerance and safety of the intervention in this pilot study (e.g., adverse effects, number of patients that need dose reduction etc.) will be evaluated. Changes in heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) during the intervention period will be examined to test safety and tolerability of preoperative propranolol.
Secondary effect parameters:
- Measuring the changes in resting HR and BP during the intervention period with handed out blood pressure monitors.
- Safety endpoints: light-headedness, lethargy, hypotension, bradycardia and other symptoms and side-effects that may be related to propranolol treatment.
Tertiary objectives: Feasibility
Additionally, the feasibility of this intervention using the APEASE framework, which assesses factors like affordability, practicability, effectiveness, acceptability, side-effects, and equity, thereby determining the willingness to adopt this strategy will be examined. This will help identify barriers and enablers to a future larger study. The details regarding the APEASE framework are described under assessments.
This trial will be conducted in accordance with the principles of Good Clinical Practice and reported according to the CONSORT and the complimentary StaRI standards for implementation studies.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Triple blind (participant, care provider, investigator)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Propranolol | Experimental | Drug: PropranololPropranolol will be administered 40 mg twice daily (morning and evening) in 10 days prior to surgery for pancreatic cancer |
| Placebo | Placebo comparator | Drug: PlaceboPlacebo will be administered twice daily (morning and evening) in 10 days prior to surgery for pancreatic cancer. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Patients with suspected surgically resectable pancreatic cancer
- Indication for surgical treatment with curative intend.
- Provide written informed consent.
- Patients minimum 18 years old.
- Women of childbearing potential (WOCBP) are defined as women ranging from the period of menarche till the post-menopausal period, unless permanently sterile (e.g., hysterectomy, bilateral salpingectomy and bilateral oophorectomy). Post-menopause is defined as no menses for 12 months without an alternative medical cause.
Key exclusion criteria (22 listed)
- Patients with:
- Chronic hypotension, systolic blood pressure < 100 mg Hg for women and < 110 mg Hg for men.
- Bradycardia, pulse < 50 beats per minute.
- Asthma or chronic obstructive lung disease
- Heart insufficiency with affected (< 50 %) left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF), treated or untreated.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| PropranololAlso: Inderal, PropalOral administration. | Drug | Propranolol |
| PlaceboAlso: Inactive drugOral administration. | Drug | Placebo |
Primary outcome
Preoperative anxiety
Time frame: Obtained preoperatively at baseline (immediately after inclusion) and immediately after intervention (before surgery)
Assessed through the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA) questionnaire
Preoperative anxiety and depression
Time frame: Obtained preoperatively at baseline (immediately after inclusion) and immediately after intervention (before surgery)
Assessed through the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) questionnaire
Preoperative quality of life
Time frame: Obtained preoperatively at baseline (immediately after inclusion) and immediately after intervention (before surgery)
Preoperative quality of life assessed through the quality of life questionnaire.
Density and subtypes of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in the tumor microenvironment.
Time frame: Through study completion. At latest within 1 year from last participant completes trial.
Histopathological assessment of the density and subtypes of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. Immunohistochemistry technique will be used.
Desmoplasia in the tumor microenvironment.
Time frame: Through study completion. At latest within 1 year from last participant completes trial.
Histopathological assessment of desmoplasia in the tumor microenvironment. Immunohistochemistry technique will be used.
Neural markers in the tumor microenvironment.
Time frame: Through study completion. At latest within 1 year from last participant completes trial.
Histopathological assessment of neural marker expression (e.g., NGF, BDNF, tyrosin hydroxylase) Immunohistochemistry technique will be used.
Adrenergic receptor (ADRB1&ADRB2) expression in the tumor microenvironment.
Time frame: Through study completion. At latest within 1 year from last participant completes trial.
Histopathological assessment of the expression of adrenergic receptors (ADRB1 and ADRB2). Immunohistochemistry technique will be used for this purpose.
Spatial distribution of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment.
Time frame: Through study completion. At latest within 1 year from last participant completes trial.
Spatial distribution of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment using Immunohistochemistry technique and NanoString GeoMx techniques will be used for this purpose.
Immune cells and subtypes in blood samples
Time frame: Through study completion. At latest within 1 year from last participant completes trial.
Assessing the number and subsets of immune cells in the obtained blood samples before and after propranolol treatment and between the two arms (propranolol versus placebo). This will be examined through FlowCytometry.
Circulating tumor cells before and after intervention in blood samples.
Time frame: Through study completion. At latest within 1 year from last participant completes trial.
Assessment of circulating tumor cells in blood samples before and after intervention.
RNA-level gene expression in blood samples.
Time frame: Through study completion. At latest within 1 year from last participant completes trial.
RNA-level expression of genes related to immune-surveillance through NanoString nCounter technique.
Heart rate variability in both trial arms
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 year.
Examining differences in heart rate variability among participants and between intervention and comparator group.
Postoperative complications
Time frame: After participant finishes trial and when last follow up (5 years from surgery) date is due.
Assessment of postoperative complications based on the Clavien-Dindo Score (CD) ranging from I to V, where I is any decline from normal postoperative course and V is death of patient.
Survival 30-days after surgery
Time frame: After participant finishes trial and when last follow up (5 years from surgery) date is due.
Assessment of survival 30 days after surgery.
Survival 90-days after surgery
Time frame: After participant finishes trial and when last follow up (5 years from surgery) date is due.
Assessment of survival 90 days after surgery.
Overall survival 1-year after surgery
Time frame: After participant finishes trial and when last follow up (5 years from surgery) date is due.
Assessment of overall surival 1-year after surgery
Overall survival 3-years after surgery
Time frame: After participant finishes trial and when last follow up (5 years from surgery) date is due.
Assessment of overall survival 3-years after surgery
Overall survival 5-years after surgery
Time frame: After participant finishes trial and when last follow up (5 years from surgery) date is due.
Assessment of overall survival 5-years after surgery
2 secondary outcomes
Safety of 40 mg propranolol twice daily on blood pressure.
Time frame: Through study completion, within 14 days after surgery.
Safety of 40 mg propranolol twice daily on heart rate.
Time frame: Through study completion, within 14 days after surgery.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 28 Mar 2024.
- Drug Information - PropranololLink provided by the sponsor.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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RecruitingPhase 3
Atebimetinib + GnP as a First Line Treatment in Patients With Metastatic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
Pancreatic Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer Metastatic
RecruitingPhase 3
Lanreotide Versus Placebo Before Surgery to Prevent a Surgical Complication Called a Pancreatic Fistula
Pancreatic Carcinoma, Pancreatic Neoplasm
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Ismail Gögenur, Professor principal investigator
Center for Surgical Science, Zealand University Hospital
2 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 2 study testing Propranolol in people with Pancreatic Cancer and Surgery, run by Zealand University Hospital at 2 sites in Denmark.
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 22 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 28 Mar 2024. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 2 sites in Denmark. 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. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. 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?
Contact Ismail Gögenur, Professor (+4547323181, igo@regionsjaelland.dk), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Preoperative anxiety (time frame: Obtained preoperatively at baseline (immediately after inclusion) and immediately after intervention (before surgery)). The study lists 18 primary outcomes in all. 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 28 Mar 2024.