Spinal MetastasesNCT07527884
The Effect of Radiotherapy After Separation Surgery for Spinal Metastases
A study testing radiotherapy in people with Spinal Metastases and Spinal Tumor, run by Wei Xu at 1 site in China.
Trial summary
The aim of this clinical study is to explore the impact of whether radiotherapy is administered after spinal metastasis surgery on the prognosis and survival of patients, to describe the clinical outcomes, and to optimize future clinical decisions. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Spinal Metastases, Spinal Tumor, Radiotherapy
- What is being tested?
- radiotherapy
- Type of treatment
- Surgery or procedure
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 130 participants
- Where
- 1 siteChina
- Study dates
- 1 Sep 2025to 1 Sep 2029
- Phase
- Interventional
- 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
- Age over 18 years old, gender not limited;
- The patient has undergone separation surgery within 3 weeks;
- The pathological result of the separation surgery site of the patient indicates that the lesion is a metastatic tumor, and the primary lesion is located outside the spine;
- The expected survival period is ≥ 6 months;
- The patient has signed the informed consent form.
Who cannot join
- Patients with poor general condition and those who are intolerant to radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy;
- Patients whose treatment segments have not received any other surgical treatment or radiotherapy;
- Patients who participated in other clinical trials of drugs or medical devices within 3 months before enrollment;
- Other situations judged by the investigator as making the subject unsuitable for enrollment.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
China1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Shanghai Changzheng Hospital
Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, 200003
Wei Xu, PhD, +86+13761278657, xuwei_spine@163.com
About this study
Official title: Postoperative Radiotherapy Versus No Radiotherapy Following Separation Surgery for Spinal Metastases: A Mixed Cohort Study
The aim of this clinical study is to explore the impact of whether radiotherapy is administered after spinal metastasis surgery on the prognosis and survival of patients, to describe the clinical outcomes, and to optimize future clinical decisions.
Read the detailed description
Based on the GLOBOCAN 2020 report, there were approximately 19.3 million new cancer cases and 10 million cancer-related deaths worldwide in 2020. The spine is one of the most common sites for metastatic malignancies, with approximately 30%-70% of patients with malignant tumors developing spinal metastases. Malignant spinal metastases can lead to symptoms such as pain, hypercalcemia, spinal instability, vertebral pathological fractures, and compression of the spinal cord and nerve roots. If the symptoms of bone metastases are not effectively controlled, they can cause psychological problems such as pain, anxiety, depression, despair, and loneliness, severely impacting the quality of life and accelerating the process of death.
The primary treatment goal for patients with spinal metastatic cancer is palliative care, which includes the preservation of neurological function, local tumor control, restoration of spinal stability, and alleviation of associated symptoms to improve the quality of life of patients. Separation surgery followed by postoperative radiotherapy is currently one of the most common treatment regimens for spinal metastatic cancer patients. Although postoperative radiotherapy can provide some degree of local control over spinal metastases, radiotherapy is associated with potential risks, such as radiation-induced myelitis, vertebral compression fractures, local control failure, and surgical wound infections. Moreover, radiotherapy is ineffective in 20-30% of patients. Furthermore, the maximum cumulative radiation dose tolerable by the spinal cord is 45-50Gy, beyond which the spine can no longer receive radiotherapy. In recent years, significant breakthroughs in systemic therapies such as targeted therapy and immunotherapy have dramatically improved local control and survival rates for various spinal metastatic cancers (such as lung, breast, and prostate cancer); in some cases, systemic therapy alone can effectively control spinal metastases.
The Spine Tumor Center at Shanghai Changzheng Hospital is continuously dedicated to exploring and researching new treatment methods for spinal metastatic cancer. In this clinical trial, we aim to compare data from spinal metastatic cancer patients with indications for separation surgery who undergo systemic therapy alone following separation surgery with those who undergo radiotherapy after separation surgery at the same center. Through a rigorous prospective cohort study, we hope to provide new and effective treatment strategies for the control of local lesions and improvement in the quality of life for spinal metastatic cancer patients.
- Conditions
- Spinal Metastases, Spinal Tumor, Radiotherapy, Separation Surgery
- Being tested
- radiotherapy
- Keywords
- spinal metastases, spinal tumor, radiotherapy, separation surgery
- Medical subject headings
- Spinal Cord Neoplasms
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
radiotherapyRadiation
The patients receive radiotherapy after the separation surgery.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| No Radiotherapy Arm | No intervention | The patients with this arm do not receive radiotherapy after the separation surgery. |
| Postoperative Radiotherapy Arm. | Experimental | Patients with spinal metastasis undergo radiotherapy after the separation surgery. Receives: Radiation: radiotherapy |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Progression-Free Survival (PFS)
Time from the date of surgery to the first documented disease progression or death from any cause, whichever occurs first.
Measured: Baseline up to 24 months.
Secondary outcomes (4)
Overall Survival（OS）
From the date of surgery until the date of death from any cause.
Measured: Baseline up to 24 months.
Pain Assessment
Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)
Measured: One day before the operation, within 2 weeks after the operation, 3 months after the operation, 6 months after the operation, 12 months after the operation, 18 months after the operation, and 24 months after the operation.
Quality of Life Evaluation
EORTC QLQ-C30 V3.0 Scale
Measured: One day before the operation, within 2 weeks after the operation, 3 months after the operation, 6 months after the operation, 12 months after the operation, 18 months after the operation, and 24 months after the operation.
Complications
All related complications after the surgery.
Measured: Baseline up to 24 months.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted14 Apr 2026
- Study start1 Sep 2025
- Primary completion1 Sep 2029 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Sep 2029 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (9)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Spinal MetastasesStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- 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 N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 130 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Wei Xu
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor-investigator, Wei Xu, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07527884
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2025SL080
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 19 Aug 2025
- Last updated
- 16 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Publications
Reck M, Rodriguez-Abreu D, Robinson AG, Hui R, Csoszi T, Fulop A, Gottfried M, Peled N, Tafreshi A, Cuffe S, O'Brien M, Rao S, Hotta K, Leiby MA, Lubiniecki GM, Shentu Y, Rangwala R, Brahmer JR; KEYNOTE-024 Investigators. Pembrolizumab versus Chemotherapy for PD-L1-Positive Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer. N Engl J Med. 2016 Nov 10;375(19):1823-1833. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1606774. Epub 2016 Oct 8.
PubMed 27718847Dugan JE, Long CC, Chanbour H, Bendfeldt GA, Suryateja Gangavarapu L, Younus I, Jonzzon S, Ahmed M, Luo LY, Berkman RA, Lugo-Pico JG, Abtahi AM, Stephens BF, Zuckerman SL. Obstacles to receiving postoperative radiation therapy following separation surgery for metastatic spine disease. J Neurosurg Spine. 2024 Jun 28;41(3):416-427. doi: 10.3171/2024.4.SPINE231254. Print 2024 Sep 1.
PubMed 38941648Goetz MP, Callstrom MR, Charboneau JW, Farrell MA, Maus TP, Welch TJ, Wong GY, Sloan JA, Novotny PJ, Petersen IA, Beres RA, Regge D, Capanna R, Saker MB, Gronemeyer DH, Gevargez A, Ahrar K, Choti MA, de Baere TJ, Rubin J. Percutaneous image-guided radiofrequency ablation of painful metastases involving bone: a multicenter study. J Clin Oncol. 2004 Jan 15;22(2):300-6. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2004.03.097.
PubMed 14722039Kumar N, Madhu S, Bohra H, Pandita N, Wang SSY, Lopez KG, Tan JH, Vellayappan BA. Is there an optimal timing between radiotherapy and surgery to reduce wound complications in metastatic spine disease? A systematic review. Eur Spine J. 2020 Dec;29(12):3080-3115. doi: 10.1007/s00586-020-06478-5. Epub 2020 Jun 15.
PubMed 32556627Chang JH, Shin JH, Yamada YJ, Mesfin A, Fehlings MG, Rhines LD, Sahgal A. Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Spinal Metastases: What are the Risks and How Do We Minimize Them? Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2016 Oct 15;41 Suppl 20(Suppl 20):S238-S245. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000001823.
PubMed 27488294Laufer I, Rubin DG, Lis E, Cox BW, Stubblefield MD, Yamada Y, Bilsky MH. The NOMS framework: approach to the treatment of spinal metastatic tumors. Oncologist. 2013 Jun;18(6):744-51. doi: 10.1634/theoncologist.2012-0293. Epub 2013 May 24.
PubMed 23709750Barzilai O, McLaughlin L, Amato MK, Reiner AS, Ogilvie SQ, Lis E, Yamada Y, Bilsky MH, Laufer I. Predictors of quality of life improvement after surgery for metastatic tumors of the spine: prospective cohort study. Spine J. 2018 Jul;18(7):1109-1115. doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2017.10.070. Epub 2017 Nov 6.
PubMed 29122701Barzilai O, Laufer I, Yamada Y, Higginson DS, Schmitt AM, Lis E, Bilsky MH. Integrating Evidence-Based Medicine for Treatment of Spinal Metastases Into a Decision Framework: Neurologic, Oncologic, Mechanicals Stability, and Systemic Disease. J Clin Oncol. 2017 Jul 20;35(21):2419-2427. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2017.72.7362. Epub 2017 Jun 22.
PubMed 28640703Sung H, Ferlay J, Siegel RL, Laversanne M, Soerjomataram I, Jemal A, Bray F. Global Cancer Statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN Estimates of Incidence and Mortality Worldwide for 36 Cancers in 185 Countries. CA Cancer J Clin. 2021 May;71(3):209-249. doi: 10.3322/caac.21660. Epub 2021 Feb 4.
PubMed 33538338
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 16 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Postoperative Radiotherapy Versus No Radiotherapy Following Separation Surgery for Spinal Metastases: A Mixed Cohort Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07527884
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2025SL080
- Conditions
- Spinal Metastases, Spinal Tumor, Radiotherapy, Separation Surgery
- Keywords
- spinal metastases, spinal tumor, radiotherapy, separation surgery
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 130 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Wei XuUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Sep 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Sep 2029 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Sep 2029 (estimated)
- First posted
- 14 Apr 2026 (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 aim of this clinical study is to explore the impact of whether radiotherapy is administered after spinal metastasis surgery on the prognosis and survival of patients, to describe the clinical outcomes, and to optimize future clinical decisions.
Detailed description
Based on the GLOBOCAN 2020 report, there were approximately 19.3 million new cancer cases and 10 million cancer-related deaths worldwide in 2020. The spine is one of the most common sites for metastatic malignancies, with approximately 30%-70% of patients with malignant tumors developing spinal metastases. Malignant spinal metastases can lead to symptoms such as pain, hypercalcemia, spinal instability, vertebral pathological fractures, and compression of the spinal cord and nerve roots. If the symptoms of bone metastases are not effectively controlled, they can cause psychological problems such as pain, anxiety, depression, despair, and loneliness, severely impacting the quality of life and accelerating the process of death.
The primary treatment goal for patients with spinal metastatic cancer is palliative care, which includes the preservation of neurological function, local tumor control, restoration of spinal stability, and alleviation of associated symptoms to improve the quality of life of patients. Separation surgery followed by postoperative radiotherapy is currently one of the most common treatment regimens for spinal metastatic cancer patients. Although postoperative radiotherapy can provide some degree of local control over spinal metastases, radiotherapy is associated with potential risks, such as radiation-induced myelitis, vertebral compression fractures, local control failure, and surgical wound infections. Moreover, radiotherapy is ineffective in 20-30% of patients. Furthermore, the maximum cumulative radiation dose tolerable by the spinal cord is 45-50Gy, beyond which the spine can no longer receive radiotherapy. In recent years, significant breakthroughs in systemic therapies such as targeted therapy and immunotherapy have dramatically improved local control and survival rates for various spinal metastatic cancers (such as lung, breast, and prostate cancer); in some cases, systemic therapy alone can effectively control spinal metastases.
The Spine Tumor Center at Shanghai Changzheng Hospital is continuously dedicated to exploring and researching new treatment methods for spinal metastatic cancer. In this clinical trial, we aim to compare data from spinal metastatic cancer patients with indications for separation surgery who undergo systemic therapy alone following separation surgery with those who undergo radiotherapy after separation surgery at the same center. Through a rigorous prospective cohort study, we hope to provide new and effective treatment strategies for the control of local lesions and improvement in the quality of life for spinal metastatic cancer patients.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| No Radiotherapy Arm | No intervention | –The patients with this arm do not receive radiotherapy after the separation surgery. |
| Postoperative Radiotherapy Arm. | Experimental | Radiation: radiotherapyPatients with spinal metastasis undergo radiotherapy after the separation surgery. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Age over 18 years old, gender not limited;
- The patient has undergone separation surgery within 3 weeks;
- The pathological result of the separation surgery site of the patient indicates that the lesion is a metastatic tumor, and the primary lesion is located outside the spine;
- The expected survival period is ≥ 6 months;
- The patient has signed the informed consent form.
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Patients with poor general condition and those who are intolerant to radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy;
- Patients whose treatment segments have not received any other surgical treatment or radiotherapy;
- Patients who participated in other clinical trials of drugs or medical devices within 3 months before enrollment;
- Other situations judged by the investigator as making the subject unsuitable for enrollment.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| radiotherapyThe patients receive radiotherapy after the separation surgery. | Radiation | Postoperative Radiotherapy Arm. |
Primary outcome
Progression-Free Survival (PFS)
Time frame: Baseline up to 24 months.
Time from the date of surgery to the first documented disease progression or death from any cause, whichever occurs first.
4 secondary outcomes
Overall Survival（OS）
Time frame: Baseline up to 24 months.
Pain Assessment
Time frame: One day before the operation, within 2 weeks after the operation, 3 months after the operation, 6 months after the operation, 12 months after the operation, 18 months after the operation, and 24 months after the operation.
Quality of Life Evaluation
Time frame: One day before the operation, within 2 weeks after the operation, 3 months after the operation, 6 months after the operation, 12 months after the operation, 18 months after the operation, and 24 months after the operation.
Complications
Time frame: Baseline up to 24 months.
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 16 Sep 2026.
- Results publication: PubMed 27718847Reck M, Rodriguez-Abreu D, Robinson AG, Hui R, Csoszi T, Fulop A, Gottfried M, Peled N, Tafreshi A, Cuffe S, O'Brien M, Rao S, Hotta K, Leiby MA, Lubiniecki GM, Shentu Y, Rangwala R, Brahmer JR; KEYNOTE-024 Investigators. Pembrolizumab versus Chemotherapy for PD-L1-Positive Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer. N Engl J Med. 2016 Nov 10;375(19):1823-1833. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1606774. Epub 2016 Oct 8.
- Results publication: PubMed 38941648Dugan JE, Long CC, Chanbour H, Bendfeldt GA, Suryateja Gangavarapu L, Younus I, Jonzzon S, Ahmed M, Luo LY, Berkman RA, Lugo-Pico JG, Abtahi AM, Stephens BF, Zuckerman SL. Obstacles to receiving postoperative radiation therapy following separation surgery for metastatic spine disease. J Neurosurg Spine. 2024 Jun 28;41(3):416-427. doi: 10.3171/2024.4.SPINE231254. Print 2024 Sep 1.
- Results publication: PubMed 14722039Goetz MP, Callstrom MR, Charboneau JW, Farrell MA, Maus TP, Welch TJ, Wong GY, Sloan JA, Novotny PJ, Petersen IA, Beres RA, Regge D, Capanna R, Saker MB, Gronemeyer DH, Gevargez A, Ahrar K, Choti MA, de Baere TJ, Rubin J. Percutaneous image-guided radiofrequency ablation of painful metastases involving bone: a multicenter study. J Clin Oncol. 2004 Jan 15;22(2):300-6. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2004.03.097.
- Results publication: PubMed 32556627Kumar N, Madhu S, Bohra H, Pandita N, Wang SSY, Lopez KG, Tan JH, Vellayappan BA. Is there an optimal timing between radiotherapy and surgery to reduce wound complications in metastatic spine disease? A systematic review. Eur Spine J. 2020 Dec;29(12):3080-3115. doi: 10.1007/s00586-020-06478-5. Epub 2020 Jun 15.
- Results publication: PubMed 27488294Chang JH, Shin JH, Yamada YJ, Mesfin A, Fehlings MG, Rhines LD, Sahgal A. Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Spinal Metastases: What are the Risks and How Do We Minimize Them? Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2016 Oct 15;41 Suppl 20(Suppl 20):S238-S245. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000001823.
- Results publication: PubMed 23709750Laufer I, Rubin DG, Lis E, Cox BW, Stubblefield MD, Yamada Y, Bilsky MH. The NOMS framework: approach to the treatment of spinal metastatic tumors. Oncologist. 2013 Jun;18(6):744-51. doi: 10.1634/theoncologist.2012-0293. Epub 2013 May 24.
- Results publication: PubMed 29122701Barzilai O, McLaughlin L, Amato MK, Reiner AS, Ogilvie SQ, Lis E, Yamada Y, Bilsky MH, Laufer I. Predictors of quality of life improvement after surgery for metastatic tumors of the spine: prospective cohort study. Spine J. 2018 Jul;18(7):1109-1115. doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2017.10.070. Epub 2017 Nov 6.
- Results publication: PubMed 28640703Barzilai O, Laufer I, Yamada Y, Higginson DS, Schmitt AM, Lis E, Bilsky MH. Integrating Evidence-Based Medicine for Treatment of Spinal Metastases Into a Decision Framework: Neurologic, Oncologic, Mechanicals Stability, and Systemic Disease. J Clin Oncol. 2017 Jul 20;35(21):2419-2427. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2017.72.7362. Epub 2017 Jun 22.
- Results publication: PubMed 33538338Sung H, Ferlay J, Siegel RL, Laversanne M, Soerjomataram I, Jemal A, Bray F. Global Cancer Statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN Estimates of Incidence and Mortality Worldwide for 36 Cancers in 185 Countries. CA Cancer J Clin. 2021 May;71(3):209-249. doi: 10.3322/caac.21660. Epub 2021 Feb 4.
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Spinal Metastases
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.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing radiotherapy in people with Spinal Metastases and Spinal Tumor, run by Wei Xu at 1 site in China.
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 5 inclusion and 4 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 16 Sep 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 China. 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?
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 Wei Xu (+8613761278657, xuwei_spine@163.com), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Progression-Free Survival (PFS) (time frame: Baseline up to 24 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 NCT07527884, which also lists 9 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 16 Sep 2026.