ClinicalTrials.gg
TerminatedNCT02167633StereocordUpdated Mar 11, 2021

Stereotactic Radiosurgery in Metastatic Spinal Cord Compression

An interventional study of Decompression surgery and Radiosurgery in Spinal Cord Compression and Neoplasm Metastasis, sponsored by Rigshospitalet, Denmark. Terminated at 1 site in Denmark. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2021-03-11.

Sponsored by Rigshospitalet, Denmark · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Why this study was terminated
Due to low accrual rate
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
10
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

To determine whether stereotactic radiosurgery of metastatic spinal cord compression is equivalent to decompressive surgery followed by external body radiation therapy to maintain ability to walk at 6 weeks.

Read the detailed description

Metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC) is an acute event demanding treatment which otherwise would eventually lead to paraplegia in all patients. This is a serious condition for the individual cancer patient and burdensome for the healthcare system. A surgical intervention plus fractionated radiation therapy (FRT) is currently the standard treatment.

Proposed Solution: If spinal cord dose is respected, local tumor control could be equivalent using stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) with minimal risk in comparison to decompression surgery and postoperative conventional radiotherapy without the additional burden on the patient of performing an invasive surgical procedure.

Clinical Impact:

Patients currently requiring surgery plus radiation therapy will potentially benefit form the proposed method. Patients will potentially benefit from reduced toxicity by avoiding the surgical procedure. In addition, a shorter treatment protocol with only one fraction is beneficial.

Aims:

The investigators' hypothesis is that stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) could be equivalent alternative in the case of patients presenting with metastatic spinal cord compression with minor neurologic deficits.

Specific aims:

  1. Determine the feasibility of recruiting patients to be randomized towards SBRT vs. of surgery plus FRT
  2. Determine the ability to walk after 6 weeks measured from the starting date of treatment
  3. Determine the side-effects and quality of life metrics following both treatment arms
  4. Determine the rate of local control following therapy using MRI scan

Project Plan:

The investigators intend to investigate if stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) could be equivalent alternative in the case of patients presenting with metastatic spinal cord compression with minor neurologic deficits

02

Conditions studied

  • Spinal Cord Compression
  • Neoplasm Metastasis

Keywords

  • Radiosurgery
  • Laminectomy
  • Radiotherapy
  • Spinal Cord Compression
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
03

In context

Spinal Cord Compression

52 studies on the registry are indexed under Spinal Cord Compression; 19 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 10 is below the median of 43 across 35 interventional studies indexed under Spinal Cord Compression.

Browse Spinal Cord Compression studies →

Lead sponsor

Rigshospitalet, Denmark is the lead sponsor of 1,007 studies on the registry; 175 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Patients must have histological or cytological confirmed that is or unresectable and for which standard curative measures do not exist or are no longer effective
  • Patients must have localized spine metastasis from first cervical to last lumbar vertebra with evidence of radiological SCC (rSCC) on a diagnostic MRI defined as involvement or compression of either the spinal cord or the cauda equina by an epidural mass lesion or metastatic disease causing impingement, indentation or loss of definition of the thecal sac
  • A maximum of two separate sites requiring treatment is allowed with maximum two vertebra pr. site
  • Eligible for surgery defined by technical assessment by surgeon whether surgical decompression is possible with proper stabilization of the spine
  • No medical co-morbidity contradicting anesthesia
  • Patient without former treatment for metastatic spinal cord compression with either decompressive surgery and/or radiation therapy
  • Patient with mild to moderate neurologic signs are eligible. These neurological signs include radiculopathy, dermatomal sensory change, and muscle strength of involved extremity 4/5 on MRC scale
  • Age ≥18 years
  • performance status ≤2
  • of greater than 3 months
  • The effects of ionizing radiation on the developing human fetus are known to be teratogenic. For this reason women of and men must agree to use adequate prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation. Should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while she or her partner is participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately. Men treated or enrolled on this protocol must also agree to use adequate contraception prior to the study, for the duration of study participation, and 4 months after completion of radiation therapy administration
  • Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written document

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Histology of myeloma or lymphoma
  • Patients with any spine that is not planned to be treated per protocol
  • Spine instability due to a compression fracture or impending vertebral compression fracture
  • Patients with rapid neurologic decline within 24 hours
  • Bony retropulsion causing neurologic abnormality
  • Prior radiation to the index spine
  • Patients for whom an MRI of the spine is medically
  • Patients allergic to contrast dye used in MRIs
  • Patients who are receiving any other agents
  • Patients with more than two known should be excluded from this clinical trial because of their poor prognosis and because they often develop progressive neurologic dysfunction that would confound the evaluation of neurologic and other adverse events
  • Patient with any serious neurologic condition other than MSCC that could confound the diagnosis and interpretation of radiation induced myelopathy
  • Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(10)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Cancer (malignancy)

Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.

Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.

Metastases

Cancer that has spread from where it began to other parts of the body. “Metastatic” cancer is cancer that has spread this way.

ECOG performance status

A scale of how much an illness limits everyday activity. For people being assessed to join a study, scores run from 0 (fully active) to 4; lower is more active.

0
Fully active, no restrictions.
1
Limited in strenuous activity, but walking and able to do light work, such as housework or office work.
2
Walking and able to look after yourself, but unable to work; up and about more than half of waking hours.
3
Able to look after yourself only in part; in bed or a chair more than half of waking hours.
4
Unable to look after yourself at all; in bed or a chair all day.

Studies most often ask for 0–1 or 0–2. Your doctor gives the score; the WHO scale uses the same steps. The full scale also has 5, which records death.

Life expectancy

The study doctor’s estimate of how long someone is likely to live. Criteria use it so that people can stay in the study long enough for it to answer its question.

Childbearing potential

Able to become pregnant: from the first period until menopause, unless permanently unable to through surgery (removal of the womb, or of both ovaries or both fallopian tubes).

Criteria for people of childbearing potential usually ask for a negative pregnancy test and for contraception during the study and for a time after it.

Contraception

Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.

Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

Contraindication

A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.

Investigational drug or device

A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.

It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.

Brain metastases

Cancer deposits in the brain from a cancer that started elsewhere in the body (CNS metastases include the spinal cord).

Studies differ: some leave out any brain metastases, some accept ones treated and stable for some weeks. Check what this study allows.

05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
10 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Decompression surgery plus fractionated radiotherapy

    Procedure: Decompression surgery · Radiation: Fractionated Radiotherapy · Drug: Glucocorticoids · Drug: Pantoprazole

  • Experimental
    Radiosurgery

    Patients treated with radiosurgery/SBRT will receive a prescribed dose of 16 Gy in one fraction to cover as large a fraction as possible the defined target volume

    Radiation: Radiosurgery · Drug: Glucocorticoids · Drug: Pantoprazole

Interventions

  • ProcedureDecompression surgery

    Patients will undergo posterior decompression/laminectomy on relevant spinal levels depending on neurological symptoms. If there is a need of spinal stabilization after decompression, patients will undergo posterior instrumentation with pedicle screws and titanium rods. Instrumentation will be done two or three levels above and below each level with metastatic affection.

    Also known as: laminectomy

  • RadiationRadiosurgery

    Patients treated with radiosurgery/SBRT will receive a prescribed dose of 16 Gy in 1 fraction to cover as large a fraction as possible the defined target volume

    Also known as: Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy

  • RadiationFractionated Radiotherapy

    Patients allocated to surgery will receive postoperative radiotherapy commencing between 10 to 21 days after decompressive surgery. Target should include the entire vertebral body and the vertebral arch at the operated level of the vertebral column. Patients receiving postoperative radiotherapy will receive 30 Gy in 10 fractions with 3 Gy pr. fraction. The prescribed dose should cover at least 90 % of the defined target volume.

  • All patients referred with clinical suspicion of metastatic spinal cord compression will receive high dose glucocorticoids. Dose adjusted to risc of side effects.

    Also known as: steroids

  • All patients receiving high dose glucocorticoids will also be prescribed with pantoprazole 40/daily to prevent gastric ulcers

    Also known as: Proton pump inhibitor (PPI)

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Ability to walk

    Ability to walk determined by EQ-5D-5L

    Time frame: 6 weeks

Secondary outcomes

  1. Self reported pain

    self reported pain determined by EQ-5D-5L

    Time frame: 0, 6, 12, 26, 52 weeks

  2. Self reported bladder control

    reported by questionnaire

    Time frame: 0, 6, 12, 26, 52 weeks

  3. Quality of life

    QOL determined by EQ-5D-5L

    Time frame: 0, 6, 12, 26, 52

  4. Response rate

    Post interventional MRI scan with response classified according to RECIST 1.1

    Time frame: 6 weeks

  5. Toxicity and interventional related complications

    Determined by CTCAE 4.0

    Time frame: 0, 6, 12, 26, 52 weeks

Other outcomes

  1. Days of treatment

    measurement of therapy related treatment days both as ambulatory and admitted to the hospital

    Time frame: 52 weeks

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Rigshospitalet
    Copenhagen, 2100, Denmark
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Morgen SS, Lund-Andersen C, Larsen CF, Engelholm SA, Dahl B. Prognosis in patients with symptomatic metastatic spinal cord compression: survival in different cancer diagnosis in a cohort of 2321 patients. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2013 Jul 15;38(16):1362-7. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0b013e318294835b. PubMed 23574811 ↗
  • Patchell RA, Tibbs PA, Regine WF, Payne R, Saris S, Kryscio RJ, Mohiuddin M, Young B. Direct decompressive surgical resection in the treatment of spinal cord compression caused by metastatic cancer: a randomised trial. Lancet. 2005 Aug 20-26;366(9486):643-8. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(05)66954-1. PubMed 16112300 ↗
  • Rades D, Huttenlocher S, Dunst J, Bajrovic A, Karstens JH, Rudat V, Schild SE. Matched pair analysis comparing surgery followed by radiotherapy and radiotherapy alone for metastatic spinal cord compression. J Clin Oncol. 2010 Aug 1;28(22):3597-604. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2010.28.5635. Epub 2010 Jul 6. PubMed 20606090 ↗
  • George R, Jeba J, Ramkumar G, Chacko AG, Leng M, Tharyan P. Interventions for the treatment of metastatic extradural spinal cord compression in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008 Oct 8;(4):CD006716. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD006716.pub2. PubMed 18843728 ↗
  • Rock JP, Ryu S, Yin FF, Schreiber F, Abdulhak M. The evolving role of stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic radiation therapy for patients with spine tumors. J Neurooncol. 2004 Aug-Sep;69(1-3):319-34. doi: 10.1023/b:neon.0000041890.01837.53. PubMed 15527098 ↗
  • Gerszten PC, Burton SA, Ozhasoglu C, Welch WC. Radiosurgery for spinal metastases: clinical experience in 500 cases from a single institution. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2007 Jan 15;32(2):193-9. doi: 10.1097/01.brs.0000251863.76595.a2. PubMed 17224814 ↗
  • Ryu S, Rock J, Jain R, Lu M, Anderson J, Jin JY, Rosenblum M, Movsas B, Kim JH. Radiosurgical decompression of metastatic epidural compression. Cancer. 2010 May 1;116(9):2250-7. doi: 10.1002/cncr.24993. PubMed 20209611 ↗
  • Jin R, Rock J, Jin JY, Janakiraman N, Kim JH, Movsas B, Ryu S. Single fraction spine radiosurgery for myeloma epidural spinal cord compression. J Exp Ther Oncol. 2009;8(1):35-41. PubMed 19827269 ↗
  • Sahgal A, Ma L, Gibbs I, Gerszten PC, Ryu S, Soltys S, Weinberg V, Wong S, Chang E, Fowler J, Larson DA. Spinal cord tolerance for stereotactic body radiotherapy. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2010 Jun 1;77(2):548-53. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2009.05.023. Epub 2009 Sep 16. PubMed 19765914 ↗
  • Kirkpatrick JP, van der Kogel AJ, Schultheiss TE. Radiation dose-volume effects in the spinal cord. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2010 Mar 1;76(3 Suppl):S42-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2009.04.095. PubMed 20171517 ↗
  • Timmerman RD. An overview of hypofractionation and introduction to this issue of seminars in radiation oncology. Semin Radiat Oncol. 2008 Oct;18(4):215-22. doi: 10.1016/j.semradonc.2008.04.001. No abstract available. PubMed 18725106 ↗
  • Boehling NS, Grosshans DR, Allen PK, McAleer MF, Burton AW, Azeem S, Rhines LD, Chang EL. Vertebral compression fracture risk after stereotactic body radiotherapy for spinal metastases. J Neurosurg Spine. 2012 Apr;16(4):379-86. doi: 10.3171/2011.11.SPINE116. Epub 2012 Jan 6. PubMed 22225488 ↗
  • Cunha MV, Al-Omair A, Atenafu EG, Masucci GL, Letourneau D, Korol R, Yu E, Howard P, Lochray F, da Costa LB, Fehlings MG, Sahgal A. Vertebral compression fracture (VCF) after spine stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT): analysis of predictive factors. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2012 Nov 1;84(3):e343-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2012.04.034. Epub 2012 Jun 1. PubMed 22658511 ↗
  • Choi D, Morris S, Crockard A, Albert T, Bunger C, Fehlings M, Harrop J, Kawahara N, Martin JA, Massicotte EM, Mazel C, Oner FC, Peul W, Tomita K, Wang M. Assessment of quality of life after surgery for spinal metastases: position statement of the Global Spine Tumour Study Group. World Neurosurg. 2013 Dec;80(6):e175-9. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2013.02.054. Epub 2013 Feb 16. PubMed 23422266 ↗
  • Cox BW, Spratt DE, Lovelock M, Bilsky MH, Lis E, Ryu S, Sheehan J, Gerszten PC, Chang E, Gibbs I, Soltys S, Sahgal A, Deasy J, Flickinger J, Quader M, Mindea S, Yamada Y. International Spine Radiosurgery Consortium consensus guidelines for target volume definition in spinal stereotactic radiosurgery. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2012 Aug 1;83(5):e597-605. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2012.03.009. Epub 2012 May 19. PubMed 22608954 ↗
  • Tokuhashi Y, Matsuzaki H, Oda H, Oshima M, Ryu J. A revised scoring system for preoperative evaluation of metastatic spine tumor prognosis. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2005 Oct 1;30(19):2186-91. doi: 10.1097/01.brs.0000180401.06919.a5. PubMed 16205345 ↗
  • Suppli MH, Munck Af Rosenschold P, Dahl B, Berthelsen AK, Engelholm SA, Pappot H. Premature Termination of a Randomized Controlled Trial on Image-Guided Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy of Metastatic Spinal Cord Compression. Oncologist. 2020 Mar;25(3):210-e422. doi: 10.1634/theoncologist.2019-0672. Epub 2019 Oct 11. PubMed 32162821 ↗
09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
Not marked actual or estimatedDates not marked actual or estimated

The record gives a start of Jul 2014, a primary completion of Sep 2016 and a completion of Sep 2016. It does not say whether these dates are actual or estimated.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Jun 17, 2014
First posted
Jun 19, 2014
Start
Jul 2014
Primary completionActual
Sep 2016
CompletionActual
Sep 2016
Last update
Mar 11, 2021
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Mar 11, 2021, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT02167633
Responsible party
Morten Hiul Suppli (MD, Rigshospitalet, Denmark) — Principal investigator
First posted
Jun 19, 2014
Start date
Jul 2014
Primary completion
Sep 2016
Completion
Sep 2016
Last update
Mar 11, 2021

Study contacts

Morten H Suppli, MD
principal investigator · Rigshospitalet, Denmark
Svend Aage Engelholm, MD
study director · Rigshospitalet, Denmark
Benny Dahl, MD
study chair · Rigshospitalet, Denmark
Helle Pappot, MD
study chair · Rigshospitalet, Denmark
Per Munck af Rosenschöld, Medical Physicist
study chair · Rigshospitalet, Denmark
Søren S Morgen, MD
study chair · Rigshospitalet, Denmark
Ivan Vogelius, Medicial Physicist
study chair · Rigshospitalet, Denmark

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is terminated, as verified in Mar 2021. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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