An observational study in Cancer Pain, Intractable Pain and Spinal Cord Edema, sponsored by Mersin University. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-02-10.
Sponsored by Mersin University · Observational
This observational study aims to evaluate changes in the spinal cord following CT-guided percutaneous cervical cordotomy performed for the treatment of intractable cancer-related pain. Cordotomy is a routine clinical procedure used to relieve severe pain in selected cancer patients. After the procedure, some patients may develop temporary neurological symptoms that are thought to be related to spinal cord edema.
In this study, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) will be performed as part of routine clinical follow-up on postoperative day 1 and at 1 month to assess the presence and extent of spinal cord edema. Clinical outcomes, including pain intensity and possible postprocedural symptoms, will be recorded and compared with MRI findings.
The goal of this research is to better understand the relationship between imaging changes in the spinal cord and clinical outcomes after cordotomy, which may help improve patient care and postoperative management in the future.
Percutaneous cervical cordotomy is a well-established palliative procedure used for the management of severe unilateral cancer-related pain that is refractory to medical treatment. The procedure involves CT-guided placement of a radiofrequency electrode at the C1-C2 level to create a lesion in the anterolateral spinothalamic tract, resulting in effective pain relief. Despite its efficacy, transient neurological effects such as dysesthesia, sensory disturbances, and neuropathic pain may occur following the procedure. These clinical findings are believed to be associated with postoperative changes in the spinal cord, including edema.
This prospective observational study is designed to evaluate the presence and extent of medulla spinalis edema following CT-guided percutaneous cervical cordotomy and to investigate its association with clinical outcomes.
A total of 10 to 15 adult patients with cancer-related pain who undergo cordotomy as part of routine clinical care at Mersin University Faculty of Medicine Algology Clinic will be enrolled. Eligible patients will be those aged 18 years or older with an indication for cordotomy.
All procedures will be performed under CT guidance at the C2 level using radiofrequency ablation with standard clinical parameters. No additional interventions will be applied for research purposes.
Clinical assessments will include baseline pain intensity measured using a numeric rating scale (NRS), postoperative pain scores, and evaluation of potential neurological symptoms such as dysesthesia, sensory loss, and other transient complications.
Cervical MRI will be performed as part of routine follow-up on postoperative day 1 and at 1 month. MRI images will be evaluated by a single experienced radiologist who will assess the presence, location, and extent of spinal cord edema and any additional structural changes.
The primary objective is to determine the frequency and characteristics of spinal cord edema following cordotomy as detected by MRI. Secondary objectives include evaluating the relationship between MRI findings and postoperative clinical symptoms as well as changes in pain intensity.
All collected data will be analyzed descriptively and through correlation analyses to explore associations between imaging findings and clinical outcomes.
This study aims to provide a better understanding of postoperative spinal cord changes after cordotomy and their clinical significance, potentially contributing to improved patient selection, monitoring, and management strategies.
310 studies on the registry are indexed under Cancer Pain; 73 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 15 is below the median of 151 across 61 observational studies indexed under Cancer Pain.
Browse Cancer Pain studies →Mersin University is the lead sponsor of 178 studies on the registry; 45 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Adult patients with intractable cancer-related pain undergoing routine CT-guided percutaneous cervical cordotomy at a tertiary university hospital pain clinic. Participants will be followed prospectively with postoperative MRI and clinical assessments.
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.
Adults aged 18 years and older
Patients with cancer-related pain to medical treatment
Patients scheduled to undergo CT-guided percutaneous cervical cordotomy as part of routine clinical care
Ability to provide
Availability for postoperative MRI follow-up on day 1 and at 1 month
Exclusion Criteria:
Patients younger than 18 years
Patients without an indication for percutaneous cervical cordotomy
Inability to undergo MRI (e.g., incompatible implants, severe claustrophobia)
Patients who decline participation or withdraw consent
Incomplete clinical or imaging follow-up data
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.
Relapsed: the illness came back after treatment had worked. Refractory: it did not respond to treatment, or stopped responding while still on it.
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.
Relapsed and refractory
Relapsed: the illness came back after treatment had worked. Refractory: it did not respond to treatment, or stopped responding while still on it.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Adult patients with cancer-related pain undergoing routine CT-guided percutaneous cervical cordotomy and followed with postoperative MRI and clinical assessments.
Procedure: CT-guided Percutaneous Cervical Cordotomy
Routine clinical percutaneous cervical cordotomy performed under CT guidance using radiofrequency ablation at the C1-C2 level for the treatment of intractable cancer pain.
Presence and extent of spinal cord edema on cervical MRI after CT-guided percutaneous cordotomy
Spinal cord edema will be evaluated on cervical MRI by a single radiologist, including presence, location, and longitudinal extent of edema.
Time frame: Postoperative day 1 and 1 month
Change in pain intensity measured by Numeric Rating Scale (NRS)
Pain severity will be assessed using a 0-10 numeric rating scale.
Time frame: Baseline, postoperative day 1, and 1 month
Plan to share: No — Individual participant data will not be shared due to patient privacy concerns and institutional data protection policies. Data will be used solely for the purposes of this study and reported in aggregate form.
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Feb 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions 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.