CClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT05132205Updated Jan 30, 2025

Radiofrequency Ablation of Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma

An interventional study of Radiofrequency Ablation in Papillary Thyroid Cancer, sponsored by Johns Hopkins University. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 100 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-01-30.

Sponsored by Johns Hopkins University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
10
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years to 100 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Traditionally, surgery has been the standard recommendation for treating papillary thyroid cancer. The risk of surgery including permanent hoarseness, permanent hypocalcemia, a mid-cervical scar, and the potential for permanent hypothyroidism may be unacceptable for some patients, especially with low risk papillary thyroid carcinoma. The recent American Thyroid Association guidelines have proposed the option of active surveillance with low risk papillary thyroid cancer less than 210 mm. However, most patients find observation anxiety provoking knowing of having cancer. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of small low risk papillary thyroid cancer is a promising therapeutic modality for these patients that reduces the risks associated with surgery and the anxiety of taking a watchful approach. However, this technique has not been validated in the North American population.

The investigators aim to describe the investigators' initial experience with RFA of low risk papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) compared to active surveillance (AS) done by Head and Neck Endocrine surgeons at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.

Primary objective:

  • To evaluate the safety, efficacy and oncological outcomes of the procedure.

Secondary objective:

  • To determine the patient functional outcomes in comparison to the observational control.
02

Conditions studied

  • Papillary Thyroid Cancer
03

In context

Thyroid Cancer, Papillary

175 studies on the registry are indexed under Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; 52 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 10 is below the median of 50 across 108 interventional studies indexed under Thyroid Cancer, Papillary.

Browse Thyroid Cancer, Papillary studies →

Lead sponsor

Johns Hopkins University is the lead sponsor of 1,783 studies on the registry; 313 are open to participants now.

Of its 203 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 140 (69%) have results posted.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 100 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • All patients regardless of sex or race between the ages 18-100 with biopsy proven PTMC with a Bethesda V or VI pathology or indeterminate cytology on fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) who are recommended for treatment (Bethesda III/IV).
  • Solitary thyroid nodule \<20mm in maximal dimension.
  • No sonographic evidence of extrathyroidal invasion, lymph node metastases, or distant metastases.
  • There must be at least 1 mm of normal tissue as a margin, without sonographic evidence of contact with the capsule.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with other histological types of thyroid malignancy other than papillary thyroid cancer such as medullary carcinoma, Proto-oncogene serine/threonine kinase (BRAF) or Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) mutations
  • Clinically apparent multicentricity
  • Lesions larger than 20 mm in maximum diameter.
  • Recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy.
  • Extension of nodule to posterior thyroid capsule.
  • Ultrasound or other imaging studies revealing cervical lymph node involvement or distant metastases.
  • Pregnancy.
  • Pacemaker.
  • Previous RFA.
05

Study design

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

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Radiofrequency Ablation

    Patients will receive RFA as a one-time intervention, with a possible second treatment after 6 months if adequate resolution is not noted on ultrasound.

    Procedure: Radiofrequency Ablation

Interventions

  • ProcedureRadiofrequency Ablation

    Radiofrequency Ablation using RFMedical device.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Percentage change in nodule volume

    This will assess the percentage change in nodule volume (cubic millimeters).

    Time frame: Baseline and 12 months

Secondary outcomes

  1. Percentage change in nodule volume

    This will assess the percentage change in nodule volume (cubic millimeters).

    Time frame: Baseline and 6 months

  2. Percentage change in nodule volume

    This will assess the percentage change in nodule volume (cubic millimeters).

    Time frame: Baseline and 24 months

  3. Change in voice related quality of life as assessed by the VHI-10

    Change from baseline in Voice Handicap index (VHI-10) score. Score ranges from 0-40. Higher score indicates worse symptoms.

    Time frame: Baseline and 6 months

  4. Change in voice related quality of life as assessed by the VHI-10

    Change from baseline in the VHI-10 score. Score ranges from 0-40. Higher score indicates worse symptoms.

    Time frame: Baseline and 12 months

  5. Change in voice related quality of life as assessed by the VHI-10

    Change from baseline in the VHI-10 score. Score ranges from 0-40. Higher score indicates worse symptoms.

    Time frame: Baseline and 24 months

  6. Scar cosmesis score

    Average score on Scar cosmesis assessment and rating (SCAR) scale. Score ranges from 0-15. Higher score indicates worse scar.

    Time frame: 6 months

  7. Scar cosmesis score

    Average score on SCAR scale. Score ranges from 0-15. Higher score indicates worse scar.

    Time frame: 12 months

  8. Scar cosmesis score

    Average score on SCAR scale. Score ranges from 0-15. Higher score indicates worse scar.

    Time frame: 24 months

  9. Change in eating assessment score as assessed by the EAT-10

    Change from baseline on Eating assessment tool (EAT-10) score. Score ranges from 0-40. Higher score indicates worse symptoms.

    Time frame: Baseline and 6 months

  10. Change in eating assessment score as assessed by the EAT-10

    Change from baseline on EAT-10 score. Score ranges from 0-40. Higher score indicates worse symptoms.

    Time frame: Baseline and 12 months

  11. Change in eating assessment score as assessed by the EAT-10

    Change from baseline on EAT-10 score. Score ranges from 0-40. Higher score indicates worse symptoms.

    Time frame: Baseline and 24 months

  12. Change in overall quality of life assessed by the PROMIS score

    Change from baseline on Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS)-29 score. Score ranges from 0-100. Higher score indicates worse symptoms.

    Time frame: Baseline and 6 months

  13. Change in overall quality of life assessed by the PROMIS score

    Change from baseline on PROMIS-29 score. Score ranges from 0-100. Higher score indicates worse symptoms.

    Time frame: Baseline and 12 months

  14. Change in overall quality of life assessed by the PROMIS score

    Change from baseline on PROMIS-29 score. Score ranges from 0-100. Higher score indicates worse symptoms.

    Time frame: Baseline and 24 months

  15. Number of complications

    Counts of skin burn, hematoma and vocal cord palsy.

    Time frame: 12 months

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Johns Hopkins Hospital
    Baltimore, Maryland 21278, United States
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

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 Jan 30, 2025, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05132205
Lead sponsor
Johns Hopkins University
Collaborators
RF Medical Co., Ltd
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Nov 24, 2021
Start date
Dec 17, 2021
Primary completion
Nov 19, 2024
Completion
Nov 19, 2024
Last update
Jan 30, 2025

Study contacts

Jonathon Russell, MD
principal investigator · Johns Hopkins University

Oversight

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

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Jan 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Start the discussion