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WithdrawnNCT05060653BLEND-IIUpdated May 18, 2023

Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy Followed by Surgical Stabilization in Spinal Metastases

An interventional study of SBRT followed by surgical stabilization within 24-48 hours in Spinal Neoplasms, Neoplasm Metastasis and Radiosurgery, sponsored by UMC Utrecht. Withdrawn at 1 site in Netherlands. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2023-05-18.

Sponsored by UMC Utrecht · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Why this study was withdrawn
Alternative study was set up
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
0
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The aim of this study is to assess pain response after combining stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) and pedicle screw fixation in a 48-hour window for the treatment of painful unstable metastases of the thoracic and/or lumbar spine.

Read the detailed description

Rationale Sixty-five percent of cancer patients with terminal illness have bone metastases, with debilitating pain often as the severe consequence. The spine is the most common location for bone metastases. Standard treatment of unstable vertebral metastases consists of stabilizing surgery, followed by external beam radiotherapy after two weeks. Although this approach is effective in 60-70% of patients, it is has several downsides. Firstly, because of the two weeks interval between surgery and external beam radiotherapy, necessary for sufficient wound healing, it takes time before radiotherapy-induced pain relief is achieved. Moreover, the surgical implants used cause scatter artifacts on planning computed tomography images which prohibits high-resolution imaging and accurate targeting of the lesion. Multiple hospital visits (ranging from 1 to 10) are needed for administration of external beam irradiation, and in about 30-40% of patients no adequate pain response is achieved. An alternative treatment strategy, which would lead to faster pain relief in a higher proportion of patients with less hospital visits, would be highly desirable from the patient's perspective. Secondly, this strategy delays the start of systemic therapy.

Objective The main outcome of this study is pain response 4 weeks after start of the treatment.

Study design Prospective cohort study nested within the PRESENT cohort being a phase 2b study according to the IDEAL recommendations

Study population All patients, male and female, with impending spinal instability requiring surgical intervention and radiotherapy at the University Medical Center Utrecht

Intervention The combined treatment of stereotactic body radiotherapy and pedicle screw fixation in a 24 to 48-hour window for the treatment of painful unstable metastases of the cervical, thoracic and/or lumbar spine.

Main study parameters/endpoints The main outcome of this study is pain response after 4 weeks

Nature and extent of the burden and risks associated with participation, benefit and group relatedness In the preceding BLEND First-in-man study, the investigators have observed no Serious Adverse Events after a median follow-up of 13 months demonstrating the safety and feasibility of this approach.

02

Conditions studied

  • Spinal Neoplasms
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Radiosurgery
  • Surgery
03

In context

Spinal Neoplasms

18 studies on the registry are indexed under Spinal Neoplasms; 5 are open to participants now.

Browse Spinal Neoplasms studies →

Lead sponsor

UMC Utrecht is the lead sponsor of 364 studies on the registry; 82 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

  • Participation in PRESENT cohort
  • Painful radiosensitive from solid tumors in the cervical, thoracic or lumbar spine needing surgical stabilization
  • Histologic proof of or radiographic/clinical characteristics indicating malignancy beyond reasonable doubt
  • Radiographic evidence of spinal metastases
  • Fit for (radio)surgery
  • Age > 18 years at the time of given in the PRESENT cohort.
  • Written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • SBRT cannot be delivered, e.g. in patients who cannot lie on the treatment table because of pain
  • Surgery cannot be performed, e.g. in patients with multiple spinal that cannot be bridged
  • Previous surgery or radiotherapy to index lesion
  • Neurological deficits (ASIA C, B or A)
  • Partial neurological deficits (ASIA D) with rapid progression (hours to days)
  • Non-ambulatory patients
  • Patient in hospice or with \< 3 months
  • Medically inoperable or patient refused surgery
  • Radiosensitizing systemic treatment that cannot reasonably be stopped (for example immunotherapy and EGFR inhibitors)
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(4)

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.

Metastases

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

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.

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.

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.

05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
0 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    SBRT followed by surgical stabilization within 48 hours

    SBRT and surgical stabilization will be performed within a 24 to 48-hour time window instead of today's standard of care of two weeks between surgical stabilization and conventional radiotherapy.

    Other: SBRT followed by surgical stabilization within 24-48 hours

Interventions

  • OtherSBRT followed by surgical stabilization within 24-48 hours

    In a first step, patients will undergo SBRT with active sparing of the surgical site. Patients will receive high dose, single to few fractions radiotherapy consisting of a boost to the metastases exclusively. The bony compartment containing the metastatic lesion will receive an elective dose in order to treat subclinical disease. Treatment planning is performed on the pre-treatment CT and MRI data in radiotherapy position that are mutually registered to yield information on all relevant structures for planning. Dose constraints are set for the organ at risks based on institution specific guidelines. All patients will be treated with on online position verification protocol based on institution specific guidelines. Hereafter, surgical intervention will be performed to the standard of care.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Pain response

    Pain response is defined as a decrease in initial worst pain score by at least 2 points on a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) of 10 at the treated site, without increase in analgesic use, or an analgesic decrease of at least 25% without an increase in pain score

    Time frame: 4 weeks

Secondary outcomes

  1. Duration of pain relief

    Duration of pain relief, as measured by the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI)

    Time frame: Through hospital stay, an average of 3 days

  2. Length of hospital stay

    Length of hospital stay in days

    Time frame: Through hospital stay, an average of 3 days

  3. 30-day mortality

    Mortality after 30 days

    Time frame: 30 days

  4. Neurological status

    American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) scale as measured by physical examination of neurologists or trained ASIA physician

    Time frame: Through hospital stay, an average of 3 days

  5. Neurological deterioration

    Defined as a deterioration on the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) scale of more than one level

    Time frame: Through hospital stay, an average of 3 days

  6. Adverse events

    Adverse events will be scored using a SAVES form

    Time frame: Through hospital stay, an average of 3 days

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Study locations

1 site
  • UMC Utrecht
    Utrecht, Netherlands
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No — IPD may be shared when requested through the principal investigator

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on May 18, 2023, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05060653
Lead sponsor
UMC Utrecht
Responsible party
J.J. Verlaan (Principal investigator, UMC Utrecht) — Principal investigator
First posted
Sep 29, 2021
Start date
Oct 2022 (estimated)
Primary completion
Oct 2023 (estimated)
Completion
Nov 2023 (estimated)
Last update
May 18, 2023

Study contacts

Jorrit-Jan Verlaan, MD, PhD
principal investigator · UMC Utrecht

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is withdrawn, as verified in May 2023. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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