ClinicalTrials.gg
RecruitingNCT06029621Updated Feb 29, 2024

Robot-assisted vs VATS for Thymoma

An interventional study of RATS for Thymectomy and VATS for Thymectomy in Thymoma, sponsored by Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Shanghai, China. Recruiting at 2 sites in China. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 75 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-02-29.

Sponsored by Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Shanghai, China · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Nov 2023; still recruiting 2 years 11 months later.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
304
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 75 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The aim of this study is to explore the advantages of robot-assisted thymectomy in long-term survival benefits and short-term clinical efficacy compared with video-assisted thoracoscopic thymectomy based on a multi-center, prospective, randomized controlled clinical trial.

Read the detailed description

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery ( VATS ) is widely used in thoracic surgery and has gradually replaced traditional thoracotomy in thymoma. As a new type of VATS, the long-term oncological results of robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in thymoma have not been verified. Therefore, we designed a multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled clinical trial to determine whether RATS thymectomy is as effective as VATS thymectomy in terms of short-term and long-term outcomes.

02

Conditions studied

  • Thymoma

Browse trials for

03

In context

Thymoma

133 studies on the registry are indexed under Thymoma; 37 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 304 is above the median of 44 across 108 interventional studies indexed under Thymoma.

Browse Thymoma studies →

Lead sponsor

Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Shanghai, China is the lead sponsor of 160 studies on the registry; 95 are open to participants now.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 75 Years
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

  1. ) The age of the subjects on the day of signing the was ≥ 18 years old and \< 75 years old, regardless of gender ;
  2. ) Chest thin-layer CT and MR showed anterior mediastinal space-occupying lesions, combined with relevant hematological indicators, the patient was clinically diagnosed as a thymic epithelial tumor with or without myasthenia gravis ( MG ) symptoms.
  3. ) need to accept thymectomy surgery ;
  4. ) Clinical stage I to IIIA ( AJCC-UICC TNM staging system ) ;
  5. ) The maximum diameter of the lesion \< 5cm ;
  6. ) physical condition score 0 or 1 ( ECOG scoring system ) ;
  7. ) Have not received any anti-thymoma therapy before, including but not limited to systemic chemotherapy, radiotherapy, etc. ;
  8. ) Preoperative major organ function meets the following criteria : Bone marrow function: ≥ 10.0 g / dL ( no blood transfusion within 28 days before hemoglobin examination ), ≥ 1.5 × 109 / L, count ≥ 100 × 109 / L ( no transfusion of apheresis platelets or IL-11 treatment within 14 days before platelet count examination ) ; coagulation function : and PT \< 1.5 × , APTT ≤ 1.5 × ULN ; liver function: transaminase ( and AST ) ≤ 2.5 × ULN; total ≤ 1.5 × ULN ( Gilbert's syndrome or liver subjects total bilirubin ≤ 2.5 × ULN ) ; renal function: serum rate ≥ 60 mL/min ( calculated according to the Cockcroft-Gault formula ) ;
  9. ) voluntarily participated in and were able to undergo robot-assisted or thoracoscopic thymectomy, and complied with the study follow-up plan.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. ) Patients with myasthenia gravis crisis ;
  2. ) had undergone mediastinal surgery or cardiac surgery ;
  3. ) ( BMI ) ≥ 30 ;
  4. ) Patients with severe liver and kidney dysfunction ( and/or AST more than three times the , Cr more than the upper limit of normal ) ;
  5. ) combined with severe chronic lung diseases such as , asthma, or interstitial lung disease ;
  6. ) suffering from uncontrolled heart, kidney, gastrointestinal, and infectious diseases and other complications ;
  7. ) patients with other malignant tumors or hematological diseases ;
  8. ) combined with chronic pain or preoperative use of opioid analgesics ;
  9. ) patients with thoracic deformity or combined with pectus carinatum and pectus excavatum ;
  10. ) have mental disorders, such as anxiety disorders ;
  11. ) pregnant and/or lactating women ;
  12. ) is currently participating in other interventional clinical studies.
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(13)

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.

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.

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.

Hemoglobin (Hb)

The protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. A low level is anaemia, which can cause tiredness and breathlessness. Measured in g/dL or g/L (9 g/dL is 90 g/L).

Absolute neutrophil count (ANC)

The number of neutrophils, white blood cells that help fight infection, in a given amount of blood. Too few raises the risk of infection.

It is a count, not a percentage of the white cells. Limits are written in units that mean the same: ≥ 1.5 × 10⁹/L is ≥ 1,500 per mm³ (µL). Each lab has its own reference range.

Platelets

Blood cells that help blood clot. Too few raises the risk of bleeding and bruising. A usual adult range is about 150–400 × 10⁹/L (150,000–400,000 per µL); each lab has its own reference range.

INR, PT and aPTT (clotting tests)

Blood tests of how long blood takes to clot. The INR is the prothrombin time (PT) put on a common scale; about 1 is usual for someone not taking a blood thinner.

Criteria often make an exception for people on a blood thinner such as warfarin, whose INR is raised on purpose.

ULN (upper limit of normal)

The top of the normal range for a blood test, as set by the laboratory that runs it. Each lab prints its own range next to your result.

“≤ 2.5 × ULN” means the result can be up to two and a half times that top value.

ALT and AST (liver enzymes)

Two enzymes measured in a routine blood test of the liver. Higher levels can mean the liver is under strain or damaged. SGPT and SGOT are older names for ALT and AST.

Criteria usually give a limit as a multiple of the upper limit of normal (ULN), often higher when cancer has spread to the liver.

Bilirubin

A yellow substance made when red blood cells are broken down, which the liver clears. A high level can mean a problem with the liver or the bile ducts.

Criteria often allow more for people with Gilbert’s syndrome, a harmless inherited condition that raises bilirubin.

Metastases

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

Creatinine clearance (CrCl)

How quickly the kidneys clear creatinine, a waste product, from the blood. A study may estimate it from a blood test with age, weight and sex (often by the Cockcroft–Gault formula), or measure it using blood and urine collected over a set time. Given in mL/min; higher is better.

BMI (body mass index)

Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.

What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.

COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: long-term lung disease that makes it hard to breathe out, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

05

Study design

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

Study arms

  • Experimental
    RATS for Thymectomy

    The operator of the surgical incision and the route of entry were determined, and the endoscope and surgical instruments were inserted through the operating hole. The phrenic nerve and diaphragm began to gradually separate upward while avoiding nerve damage. Subsequently, the innominate vein was dissected to observe the branches of the thymus vessels and clamped with a 5 mm Hem-o-Lok clamp. Continue to dissect the left side of the thymus until near the phrenic nerve. After the thymus was removed entirely, it was placed in a bag and removed through an incision. After the operation, a 28 Fr chest tube was placed through the incision to the chest top. An 18 G central venous catheter was placed at the level of the posterior axillary line to the posterior costophrenic angle, and about 10 cm was inserted.

    Procedure: RATS for Thymectomy

  • Active comparator
    VATS for Thymectomy

    The main operation principles and procedures of the operation are basically similar to those of the RATS and are completed under video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery.

    Procedure: VATS for Thymectomy

Interventions

  • ProcedureRATS for Thymectomy

    a minimally invasive surgical type for Thymoma: RATS

  • ProcedureVATS for Thymectomy

    a minimally invasive surgical type for Thymoma: VATS

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. 5-year overall survival (OS)

    OS at 5 year after surgery

    Time frame: 5 year after surgery

Secondary outcomes

  1. Pain score

    Pain was assessed using a pain scale on the first day, 1 month, 6 months and 1 year after surgery. Pain was evaluated using the visual analogue scale (VAS) and the numerical rating scale (NRS), with higher scores indicating greater pain

    Time frame: at 1 year after surgery

  2. quality of life (QOL) at 1 year by EORTC QLQ-C30

    Quality of life was assessed at 1 month, 6 months and 1 year after surgery. QQL was evaluated using the European Organization for the Treatment and Research of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) version 3.0

    Time frame: at 1 year after surgery

  3. quality of life (QOL) at 1 year by EQ-5D

    Quality of life was assessed at 1 month, 6 months and 1 year after surgery. QQL was evaluated using the European Five Dimensional Health Scale (EQ-5D).

    Time frame: at 1 year after surgery

  4. R0 rate

    R0 radical rate

    Time frame: postoperative in-hospital stay up to 30 days

  5. operative time

    the time of operation

    Time frame: Intraoperative

  6. blood loss

    blood loss in the operation

    Time frame: Intraoperative

  7. conversion rate

    the rate of conversion to open surgery in the operation

    Time frame: Intraoperative

  8. length of hospital stay (LOS)

    length of stay in hospitalization

    Time frame: postoperative in-hospital stay up to 30 days

  9. Catheterization days

    The interval days from the completion of catheter insertion to the removal of the thoracic tube

    Time frame: postoperative in-hospital stay up to 30 days

  10. Volume of drainage

    Volume of drainage from the completion of catheter insertion to the removal of the thoracic tube

    Time frame: postoperative in-hospital stay up to 30 days

  11. postoperative complications

    mainly include: pneumonia, arrhythmia, incision infection, vocal cord paralysis, trachea cannula

    Time frame: postoperative in-hospital stay up to 30 days

  12. 30-day mortality

    30-day mortality after surgery

    Time frame: postoperative in-hospital stay up to 30 days

  13. 30-day readmission rate after surgery

    Rate of readmission due to postoperative complications

    Time frame: postoperative in-hospital stay up to 30 days

  14. 5-year disease-free survival (DFS)

    DFS at 5 year after surgery

    Time frame: 5 year after surgery

  15. Tumor recurrence rate

    The rate of recurrence of thymoma in patients after surgery

    Time frame: 5 year after surgery

07

Study locations

1 of 2 sites recruiting
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reached

Started Nov 2023 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Sep 2030, 81 months after the start.

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

Registered
Aug 28, 2023
First posted
Sep 8, 2023
StartActual
Nov 20, 2023
Primary completionEst.
Sep 19, 2030
CompletionEst.
Sep 19, 2030
Last update
Feb 29, 2024
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 Feb 29, 2024, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT06029621
Responsible party
Deping Zhao (Administrative Director of Thoracic Surgery Department, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Shanghai, China) — Principal investigator
First posted
Sep 8, 2023
Start date
Nov 20, 2023
Primary completion
Sep 19, 2030 (estimated)
Completion
Sep 19, 2030 (estimated)
Last update
Feb 29, 2024

Study contacts

Juemin Yu
Contact
yujm96@163.com
+8615927548511
Deping Zhao, MD,PhD
Contact
zdp1992@163.com
+8613701816883
Deping Zhao, MD,PhD
principal investigator · Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University

Oversight

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

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