Comparing Whole Brain Radiotherapy Using a Technique That Avoids the Hippocampus to Stereotactic Radiosurgery in Patients With Cancer That Has Spread to the Brain and Come Back in Other Areas of the Brain After Earlier Stereotactic Radiosurgery

NCT ID: NCT04588246

Last Updated: 2025-06-06

Study Results

Results available

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Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

TERMINATED

Clinical Phase

PHASE3

Total Enrollment

19 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2021-08-05

Study Completion Date

2024-08-06

Brief Summary

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This phase III trial compares the effect of adding whole brain radiotherapy with hippocampal avoidance and memantine versus stereotactic radiosurgery alone in treating patients with cancer that has spread to the brain and come back in other areas of the brain after earlier stereotactic radiosurgery. Hippocampus avoidance during whole-brain radiation therapy decreases the amount of radiation that is delivered to the hippocampus, which is a brain structure that is important for memory. The medicine memantine is also often given with whole brain radiation therapy because it may decrease the risk of side effects of radiation on neurocognitive function (including thinking and memory). Stereotactic radiosurgery delivers a high dose of radiation only to the small areas of cancer in the brain and avoids the surrounding normal brain tissue. Adding whole brain radiotherapy with hippocampal avoidance and memantine may be effective in reducing the size of the cancer or keeping the cancer the same size when it has spread to the brain and/or come back in other areas of the brain compared to stereotactic radiosurgery.

Detailed Description

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PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:

I. To determine if hippocampal-avoidant plus whole brain radiotherapy (HA-WBRT) in patients with distant brain failure with brain metastasis velocity \>= 4 new brain metastases/year prolongs time to neurologic death as compared to stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS).

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To determine if HA-WBRT in patients with distant brain failure with brain metastasis velocity \>= 4 new brain metastases/year prolongs overall survival as compared to SRS.

II. To evaluate if HA-WBRT in patients with distant brain failure with brain metastasis velocity \>= 4 new brain metastases/year prolongs intracranial progression-free survival as compared to SRS.

III. To evaluate if HA-WBRT in patients with distant brain failure with brain metastasis velocity \>= 4 new brain metastases/year improves brain metastasis velocity at subsequent relapse as compared to SRS.

IV. To assess perceived difficulties in cognitive abilities, symptom burden and health status after HA-WBRT, as compared to SRS, in patients with distant brain failure with brain metastasis velocity \>= 4 new brain metastases/year.

V. To compare neurocognitive function outcomes following HA-WBRT, as compared to SRS, in patients with distant brain failure with brain metastasis velocity \>= 4 new brain metastases/year.

VI. To tabulate and descriptively compare the adverse events associated with the interventions.

VII. To tabulate and descriptively compare the number of salvage procedures used to manage recurrent intracranial disease following the interventions.

EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVES:

I. To collect serum, plasma, and whole blood for translational research analyses.

II. To collect baseline and all follow-up magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for hippocampal volume, memory center substructures, axial T2 volumes, and quantitative texture analysis.

III. To collect baseline and follow-up MR imaging to extract whole brain volume, white matter volume and volume of metastatic disease to correlate with cognitive change at 4 months.

IV. To evaluate dose-volume histogram parameters to correlate with radiation toxicity.

V. To assess in patients receiving immunotherapy or targeted therapy, if HA-WBRT in patients with distant brain failure with brain metastasis velocity \>= 4 new brain metastases/year at time improves brain metastasis velocity and/or overall survival at subsequent relapse as compared to SRS.

VI. To compare the estimated cost of brain-related therapies and quality-adjusted life years in patients who receive HA-WBRT, as compared to SRS, in patients with distant brain failure with metastasis velocity \>= 4 new brain metastases/year.

OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms.

ARM I: Patients undergo HA-WBRT daily (5 times weekly) for 2 weeks for a total of 10 fractions in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Prior to HA-WBRT or no later than the 4th treatment, patients also receive memantine orally (PO) once daily (QD) or twice daily (BID) for 24 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients also undergo computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and may undergo blood sample collection throughout the trial.

ARM II: Patients undergo single fraction SRS or fractionated SRS (fSRS) on study. Patients also undergo CT and MRI and may undergo blood sample collection throughout the trial.

Patients are followed up at 2, 4, 6, 9, and 12 months from the start of SRS/fSFS or HA-WBRT and then every 6 months after month 12 and within 21 days after patient death.

Conditions

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Anatomic Stage IV Breast Cancer AJCC v8 Metastatic Lung Non-Small Cell Carcinoma Metastatic Lung Small Cell Carcinoma Metastatic Malignant Breast Neoplasm Metastatic Malignant Digestive System Neoplasm Metastatic Malignant Neoplasm in the Brain Metastatic Malignant Solid Neoplasm Metastatic Melanoma Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Recurrent Brain Neoplasm Stage IV Lung Cancer AJCC v8 Stage IV Renal Cell Cancer AJCC v8

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Investigators

Study Groups

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Arm I (memantine, HA-WBRT)

Patients undergo HA-WBRT daily (5 times weekly) for 2 weeks for a total of 10 fractions in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Prior to HA-WBRT or no later than the 4th treatment, patients also receive memantine PO QD or BID for 24 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients also undergo CT and MRI and may undergo blood sample collection throughout the trial.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Biospecimen Collection

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Undergo blood sample collection

Computed Tomography

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Undergo CT

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Undergo MRI

Memantine

Intervention Type DRUG

Given PO

Quality-of-Life Assessment

Intervention Type OTHER

Ancillary studies

Questionnaire Administration

Intervention Type OTHER

Ancillary studies

Whole-Brain Radiotherapy

Intervention Type RADIATION

Undergo HA-WBRT

Arm II (SRS/fSRS)

Patients undergo single fraction SRS or fSRS on study. Patients also undergo CT and MRI and may undergo blood sample collection throughout the trial.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Biospecimen Collection

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Undergo blood sample collection

Computed Tomography

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Undergo CT

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Undergo MRI

Quality-of-Life Assessment

Intervention Type OTHER

Ancillary studies

Questionnaire Administration

Intervention Type OTHER

Ancillary studies

Stereotactic Radiosurgery

Intervention Type RADIATION

Undergo SRS/fSRS

Interventions

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Biospecimen Collection

Undergo blood sample collection

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Computed Tomography

Undergo CT

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Undergo MRI

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Memantine

Given PO

Intervention Type DRUG

Quality-of-Life Assessment

Ancillary studies

Intervention Type OTHER

Questionnaire Administration

Ancillary studies

Intervention Type OTHER

Stereotactic Radiosurgery

Undergo SRS/fSRS

Intervention Type RADIATION

Whole-Brain Radiotherapy

Undergo HA-WBRT

Intervention Type RADIATION

Other Intervention Names

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Biological Sample Collection Biospecimen Collected Specimen Collection CAT CAT Scan Computed Axial Tomography Computerized Axial Tomography Computerized axial tomography (procedure) Computerized Tomography Computerized Tomography (CT) scan CT CT Scan tomography Magnetic Resonance Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Magnetic resonance imaging (procedure) Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scan Medical Imaging, Magnetic Resonance / Nuclear Magnetic Resonance MR MR Imaging MRI MRI Scan MRIs NMR Imaging NMRI Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging sMRI Structural MRI Quality of Life Assessment SRS Stereotactic External Beam Irradiation stereotactic external-beam radiation therapy Stereotactic Radiation Therapy Stereotactic Radiotherapy stereotaxic radiation therapy stereotaxic radiosurgery WBRT whole-brain radiation therapy

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Patients must have developed their distant brain relapse(s) at least 8 weeks after last SRS and within 21 days prior to randomization

* Distant brain relapse lesions to be treated must measure =\< 3.0 cm in maximal extent and total volume of distant brain relapses to be treated must measure \< 30 mL on the contrast-enhanced diagnostic MRI brain scan obtained within 21 days prior to randomization
* "last SRS" refers to the most recent SRS procedure that the patient received prior to enrollment on this study
* Distant brain relapse lesions must be diagnosed on MRI, which will include the following elements:

* REQUIRED MRI ELEMENTS

* Post gadolinium contrast-enhanced T1-weighted three-dimensional (3D) spoiled gradient (SPGR). Acceptable 3D SPGR sequences include magnetization-prepared 3D gradient recalled echo (GRE) rapid gradient echo (MP-RAGE), turbo field echo (TFE) MRI, BRAVO (brain volume imaging) or 3D fast FE (field echo). The T1-weighted 3D scan should use the smallest possible axial slice thickness, not to exceed 1.5 mm
* Pre-contrast T1 weighted imaging (3D imaging sequence strongly encouraged)
* A minimum of one axial T2 fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) (preferred) or T2 sequence is required. This can be acquired as a 2D or 3D image. If 2D, the images should be obtained in the axial plane
* ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS

* Recommendation is that an axial T2 FLAIR (preferred) sequence be performed instead of a T2 sequence
* Recommendation is that that pre-contrast 3D T1 be performed with the same parameters as the post-contrast 3D T1
* Recommendation is that imaging be performed on a 3 Tesla (3T) MRI
* Recommendation is that the study participants be scanned on the same MRI instrument at each time point
* Recommendation is that if additional sequences are obtained, these should meet the criteria outlined in Kaufmann et al., 2020
* If additional sequences are obtained, total imaging time should not exceed 60 minutes
* Brain metastasis velocity (BMV) since last SRS must be \>= 4 brain metastases/year
* The patient or a legally authorized representative must provide study-specific informed consent prior to study entry
* Pathologically (histologically or cytologically) proven diagnosis of small cell cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, melanoma, breast cancer, renal cell carcinoma, or gastrointestinal cancer within 10 years prior to randomization. If the original histologic proof of malignancy is greater than 10 years, then pathological (i.e., more recent) confirmation is required (e.g., from a systemic metastasis or brain metastasis)

* Other histologies are not permitted
* History and physical examination within 28 days prior to randomization
* Age \>= 18
* Karnofsky performance status of \>= 70 within 28 days prior to randomization
* Calculated creatinine clearance (CrCl) \>= 30 ml/min (within 28 days prior to randomization)
* Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) within 1.5 times the institutional upper limit of normal (ULN) (e.g., if the ULN is 20 mg/dL, then BUN up to 30 mg/dL is permitted) (within 28 days prior to randomization)
* Negative urine or serum pregnancy test (in women of childbearing potential) within 14 days prior to randomization

Exclusion Criteria

* BMV \>= 4 brain metastases/year at time of any SRS prior to enrollment.

* Patients are permitted to have undergone multiple SRS treatments to different brain metastases so long as prior BMV has been less than 4 brain metastases/year
* Prior WBRT or prophylactic cranial irradiation
* Local relapse of metastasis previously treated with upfront SRS (i.e., relapse outside previously SRS-treated metastases is allowed)
* Brain metastases from primary germ cell tumor or lymphoma
* Definitive leptomeningeal metastasis
* Planned cytotoxic chemotherapy on the same day as SRS or HA-WBRT; concurrent immunotherapy is permitted
* Radiographic evidence of enlargement or other architectural distortion of the lateral ventricles, including placement of external ventricular drain or ventriculoperitoneal shunt
* Known history of demyelinating disease such as multiple sclerosis
* Inability to swallow pills
* Contraindication to MR imaging such as non-MR conditional implanted metal devices or unknown metallic foreign bodies, or contraindication to gadolinium contrast administration during MR imaging, such as anaphylactic allergy that cannot be adequately addressed with pre-contrast medications or acute kidney injury
* Contraindications to memantine, including:

* Allergy, including prior allergic reaction to memantine
* Intractable seizures on adequate anticonvulsive therapy-more than 1 seizure per month for the past 2 months
* Current use of N-methyl-D-asparatate (NMDA) agonist
* Current alcohol or drug abuse, which can exacerbate lethargy/dizziness with memantine
* Severe, active co-morbidity defined as follows:

* Unstable angina and/or congestive heart failure requiring hospitalization within the last 6 months
* Transmural myocardial infarction within the last 6 months
* Acute bacterial or fungal infection requiring intravenous antibiotics at the time of randomization
* Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation or other acute respiratory illness precluding study therapy at the time of randomization
* Severe hepatic disease defined as a diagnosis of Child-Pugh class B or C hepatic disease
* Renal tubular acidosis or metabolic acidosis
* Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive with CD4 count \< 200 cells/microliter. Note that patients who are HIV positive are eligible, provided they are under treatment with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and have a CD4 count \>= 200 cells/microliter within 30 days prior to randomization. Note also that HIV testing is not required for eligibility for this protocol
* Pregnant or lactating women, or women of childbearing potential and men who are sexually active and not willing/able to use medically acceptable forms of contraception; this exclusion is necessary because the medication and radiation involved in this study has unknown effects on the unborn fetus
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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National Cancer Institute (NCI)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

NRG Oncology

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Vinai Gondi

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

NRG Oncology

Locations

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Banner University Medical Center - Tucson

Tucson, Arizona, United States

Site Status

University of Arizona Cancer Center-North Campus

Tucson, Arizona, United States

Site Status

City of Hope Corona

Corona, California, United States

Site Status

City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center

Duarte, California, United States

Site Status

City of Hope at Irvine Lennar

Irvine, California, United States

Site Status

City of Hope Antelope Valley

Lancaster, California, United States

Site Status

Sutter Cancer Centers Radiation Oncology Services-Roseville

Roseville, California, United States

Site Status

Sutter Roseville Medical Center

Roseville, California, United States

Site Status

Sutter Medical Center Sacramento

Sacramento, California, United States

Site Status

California Pacific Medical Center-Pacific Campus

San Francisco, California, United States

Site Status

City of Hope South Pasadena

South Pasadena, California, United States

Site Status

City of Hope South Bay

Torrance, California, United States

Site Status

City of Hope Upland

Upland, California, United States

Site Status

Delaware Clinical and Laboratory Physicians PA

Newark, Delaware, United States

Site Status

Helen F Graham Cancer Center

Newark, Delaware, United States

Site Status

Medical Oncology Hematology Consultants PA

Newark, Delaware, United States

Site Status

Christiana Care Health System-Christiana Hospital

Newark, Delaware, United States

Site Status

UM Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at Coral Gables

Coral Gables, Florida, United States

Site Status

UM Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at Deerfield Beach

Deerfield Beach, Florida, United States

Site Status

Mayo Clinic in Florida

Jacksonville, Florida, United States

Site Status

University of Miami Miller School of Medicine-Sylvester Cancer Center

Miami, Florida, United States

Site Status

Memorial Hospital West

Pembroke Pines, Florida, United States

Site Status

Northwestern University

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Site Status

Rush University Medical Center

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Site Status

University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Site Status

Carle at The Riverfront

Danville, Illinois, United States

Site Status

Northwestern Medicine Cancer Center Kishwaukee

DeKalb, Illinois, United States

Site Status

Carle Physician Group-Effingham

Effingham, Illinois, United States

Site Status

Northwestern Medicine Cancer Center Delnor

Geneva, Illinois, United States

Site Status

Carle Physician Group-Mattoon/Charleston

Mattoon, Illinois, United States

Site Status

Carle Cancer Center

Urbana, Illinois, United States

Site Status

The Carle Foundation Hospital

Urbana, Illinois, United States

Site Status

Northwestern Medicine Cancer Center Warrenville

Warrenville, Illinois, United States

Site Status

University of Maryland/Greenebaum Cancer Center

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Site Status

MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center/Weinberg Cancer Institute

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Site Status

UM Upper Chesapeake Medical Center

Bel Air, Maryland, United States

Site Status

Central Maryland Radiation Oncology in Howard County

Columbia, Maryland, United States

Site Status

UM Baltimore Washington Medical Center/Tate Cancer Center

Glen Burnie, Maryland, United States

Site Status

Tufts Medical Center

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Site Status

Trinity Health Saint Joseph Mercy Hospital Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

Site Status

Trinity Health IHA Medical Group Hematology Oncology - Brighton

Brighton, Michigan, United States

Site Status

Chelsea Hospital

Chelsea, Michigan, United States

Site Status

Trinity Health IHA Medical Group Hematology Oncology - Chelsea Hospital

Chelsea, Michigan, United States

Site Status

Trinity Health IHA Medical Group Hematology Oncology Ann Arbor Campus

Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States

Site Status

University of Mississippi Medical Center

Jackson, Mississippi, United States

Site Status

Siteman Cancer Center at Saint Peters Hospital

City of Saint Peters, Missouri, United States

Site Status

Siteman Cancer Center at West County Hospital

Creve Coeur, Missouri, United States

Site Status

Washington University School of Medicine

St Louis, Missouri, United States

Site Status

Siteman Cancer Center-South County

St Louis, Missouri, United States

Site Status

Siteman Cancer Center at Christian Hospital

St Louis, Missouri, United States

Site Status

Northwell Health/Center for Advanced Medicine

Lake Success, New York, United States

Site Status

University of Rochester

Rochester, New York, United States

Site Status

State University of New York Upstate Medical University

Syracuse, New York, United States

Site Status

Upstate Cancer Center at Verona

Verona, New York, United States

Site Status

Wake Forest University Health Sciences

Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States

Site Status

Sanford Bismarck Medical Center

Bismarck, North Dakota, United States

Site Status

Sanford Broadway Medical Center

Fargo, North Dakota, United States

Site Status

Sanford Roger Maris Cancer Center

Fargo, North Dakota, United States

Site Status

Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center

Columbus, Ohio, United States

Site Status

University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States

Site Status

Christiana Care Health System-Concord Health Center

Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status

Geisinger Medical Center

Danville, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status

UPMC Cancer Centers - Arnold Palmer Pavilion

Greensburg, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status

Geisinger Medical Oncology-Lewisburg

Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status

Riddle Memorial Hospital

Media, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status

UPMC-Shadyside Hospital

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status

Geisinger Cancer Services-Pottsville

Pottsville, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status

Lankenau Medical Center

Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status

UPMC Memorial

York, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status

Medical University of South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina, United States

Site Status

Prisma Health Cancer Institute - Faris

Greenville, South Carolina, United States

Site Status

Covenant Medical Center-Lakeside

Lubbock, Texas, United States

Site Status

Virginia Commonwealth University/Massey Cancer Center

Richmond, Virginia, United States

Site Status

West Virginia University Healthcare

Morgantown, West Virginia, United States

Site Status

University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center - University Hospital

Madison, Wisconsin, United States

Site Status

Froedtert Menomonee Falls Hospital

Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, United States

Site Status

Medical College of Wisconsin

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States

Site Status

Drexel Town Square Health Center

Oak Creek, Wisconsin, United States

Site Status

Froedtert West Bend Hospital/Kraemer Cancer Center

West Bend, Wisconsin, United States

Site Status

CHUM - Centre Hospitalier de l'Universite de Montreal

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Site Status

Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital

Chai Wan, , Hong Kong

Site Status

Countries

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United States Canada Hong Kong

Provided Documents

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Document Type: Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Document Type: Informed Consent Form

View Document

Other Identifiers

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NCI-2020-07375

Identifier Type: REGISTRY

Identifier Source: secondary_id

NRG-BN009

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: secondary_id

NRG-BN009

Identifier Type: OTHER

Identifier Source: secondary_id

NRG-BN009

Identifier Type: OTHER

Identifier Source: secondary_id

U10CA180868

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

NRG-BN009

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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