A Phase 4 interventional study of Phenoxybenzamine in Pheochromocytoma, Paraganglioma and Adrenalectomy; Status, sponsored by Seoul National University Hospital. Recruiting at 1 site in Korea, Republic of. Open to participants aged 19 Years to 70 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-06-12.
Sponsored by Seoul National University Hospital · Phase 4, Interventional, and Prevention
Pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL) are rare neuroendocrine tumors originating from catecholamine producing chromaffin cells in the adrenal medulla and extra-adrenal paraganglia. The overall age-standardized incidence rate is 0.18 per 100,000 person-years in Korea.
The definitive treatment of PPGL is surgical excision of tumor. However, surgery is associated with a high risk of perioperative hemodynamic instability (HI). To avoid perioperative HI in patients diagnosed with PPGL, preoperative management including routine use of alpha blockade and volume expansion has been advocated by several guidelines.
While unstable hypertension and tachycardia should be controlled in patients with PPGL, there is controversial that all patients diagnosed with PPGL should undergo preoperative pharmacological treatment, especially alpha blockade. The most important risk of preoperative alpha blockade use is perioperative hypotension.
A recent study reported that patients diagnosed with PPGL postoperatively may have no further higher risk of intraoperative hypertension than those diagnosed preoperatively despite insufficient preoperatively management of PPGL.
Therefore, it is a very important to study the relationship between HI and preoperative alpha blockade in normotensive patients diagnosed with PPGL. The aim this study is to analyze the effect and safety of omitting preoperative alpha-adrenergic blockade for normotensive pheochromocytoma through a prospective randomized controlled trial. The patients is divided into two groups. The patients in control group take a phenoxybenzamine at least 2 to 5 weeks before surgery. The patients in case group do not take a phenoxybenzamine.
Primary outcome is to evaluate the percentage of time during surgery with systolic blood pressure more than 160mmHg or average blood pressure less than 60mmHg. And secondary outcomes are to evaluate hemodynamic instability in preoperative ward and postoperative ward.
Pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL) are rare neuroendocrine tumors originating from catecholamine producing chromaffin cells in the adrenal medulla and extra-adrenal paraganglia. The overall age-standardized incidence rate is 0.18 per 100,000 person-years in Korea. The classical clinical presentations that occur due to the release of catecholamine include headache, palpitation, sweating and hypertension. Excessive catecholamine release from PPGLs can induce life-threatening complication such as myocardial infarction, heart failure, cardiomyopathy, shock, arrhythmias, and stroke. The definitive treatment of PPGL is surgical excision of tumor. However, surgery is associated with a high risk of perioperative hemodynamic instability (HI). To avoid perioperative HI in patients diagnosed with PPGL, preoperative management including routine use of alpha blockade and volume expansion has been advocated by several guidelines.
While unstable hypertension and tachycardia should be controlled in patients with PPGL, there is controversial that all patients diagnosed with PPGL should undergo preoperative pharmacological treatment, especially alpha blockade. The most important risk of preoperative alpha blockade use is perioperative hypotension. The patients with prolonged preoperative alpha blockade may require intravenous fluid and vasopressors. In the recent randomized controlled trial comparing the efficacy of two different alpha blockade, 80-92% of patients reported mild to moderate side effect on alpha blockade.
The proportion of patients who are incidentally diagnosed with PPGLs are increasing. According to the recent study, the European registry for endocrine tumors revealed that incidentaloma were present in 43.4% (239/551 patients) of pheochromocytoma patients, 11.8% (65/551 patients) of patients were diagnosed as pheochromocytoma after adrenalectomy. Patients who were diagnosed with PPGL postoperatively did not undergo proper preoperative management to prevent perioperative HI. Most of them were normotensive patients and there were no specific findings on laboratory or radiologic examination suggesting PPGLs. In addition, a recent study reported that patients diagnosed with PPGL postoperatively may have no further higher risk of intraoperative hypertension than those diagnosed preoperatively despite insufficient preoperatively management of PPGL.
Therefore, it is a very important to study the relationship between HI and preoperative alpha blockade in normotensive patients diagnosed with PPGL. The department of endocrine surgery in Seoul National University Hospital intends to analyze the effect and safety of omitting preoperative alpha-adrenergic blockade for normotensive pheochromocytoma through a prospective randomized controlled trial. The patients is divided into two groups. The patients in control group take a phenoxybenzamine at least 2 to 5 weeks before surgery. If blood pressure is more than 130/80mmHg in the sitting position, the patient will take a more amount of phenoxybenzamine. If blood pressure is less than 90mmHg in the standing position, the patients will take a less amount of phenoxybenzamine. In the case group, there is no drug to be taken.
Primary outcome is to evaluate the percentage of time during surgery with systolic blood pressure more than 160mmHg or average blood pressure less than 60mmHg. And secondary outcomes are to evaluate hemodynamic instability in preoperative ward and postoperative ward.
149 studies on the registry are indexed under Pheochromocytoma; 56 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 24 is below the median of 33 across 81 interventional studies indexed under Pheochromocytoma.
Browse Pheochromocytoma studies →Seoul National University Hospital is the lead sponsor of 1,860 studies on the registry; 275 are open to participants now.
Of its 12 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 2 (17%) have results posted.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Phenoxybenzamine, an alpha receptor blocker, is taken at least 2 to 5 weeks before surgery
Drug: Phenoxybenzamine
Phenoxybenzamine, an alpha receptor blocker, is not taken before surgery
Drug: Phenoxybenzamine
Patients in sham comparator group take a phenoxybenzamine at least 2 to 5 weeks before surgery. If blood pressure is more than 130/80 mmHg in the sitting position, the patient will take a more amount of phenoxybenzamine. If blood pressure is less than 90 mmHg in the standing position, the patient will take a less amount of phenoxybenzamine. In active comparator group, there is no drug to be taken.
The effect and safety of omitting preoperative alpha blockade during surgery
Percentage of time during the surgery with systolic blood pressure \> 160mmHg or average blood pressure \< 60mmHg
Time frame: during surgery
The effect and safety of omitting preoperative alpha blockade during surgery
1. Percentage of the surgery time greater than 100 times per pulse minute 2. Average systolic/diastolic blood pressure in millimeters of mercury and pulse in beats each minutes during surgery 3. Types and amount of antihypertensive drugs in mg per day during surgery 4. Types and amount of vasopressor drugs in mg per day during surgery
Time frame: during surgery
The effect and safety of omitting preoperative alpha blockade before surgery
1. The number of times systolic blood pressure more than 130 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure more than 80mmHg in the preoperative ward 2. The number of times of pulse rate per minute more than 80 times in the preoperative ward
Time frame: 3 days, 2 days, 1 day before surgery
The effect and safety of omitting preoperative alpha blockade after surgery
1. The number of times of average blood pressure less than 60mmHg in postoperative ward 2. Average blood pressure in postoperative ward 3. Types and amount of antihypertensive drugs in mg per day after surgery 4. Types and amount of vasopressor drugs in mg per day after surgery
Time frame: 1 day, 2 day, 2 weeks, 3 months after surgery
Plan to share: No
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Seoul National University Hospital