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Not yet recruitingNCT07450352Updated Mar 4, 2026

SEED-CRYO: Sequential 125I Seed Implantation Followed by Cryoablation vs Single-Modality Local Therapy in Unresectable Solid Tumors

A Phase 2 interventional study of Iodine-125 (125I) Seed Implantation and cryoablation in Unresectable Solid Tumors, sponsored by Li Min. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in China. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-03-04.

Sponsored by Li Min · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
150
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This open-label, randomized Phase II trial evaluates whether sequential iodine-125 seed implantation followed by cryoablation improves local tumor control versus single-modality local therapy (125I seeds alone or cryoablation alone) in unresectable solid tumors.

The study is based on a complementary treatment rationale: cryoablation provides rapid cytoreduction of the dominant tumor component, while 125I seed brachytherapy delivers sustained low-dose-rate irradiation that may better suppress residual viable tumor at the periphery and microscopic extension zones. The trial is designed to determine whether this spatial and temporal complementarity translates into superior local disease control without unacceptable toxicity.

Participants will be randomized in parallel to one of three arms: (1) sequential 125I seed implantation followed by cryoablation within a protocol-defined interval, (2) 125I seed implantation alone, or (3) cryoablation alone. Treatment assignment is open label; imaging-based efficacy endpoints will be assessed using a standard blinded assessment process (blinded evaluators), according to protocol-defined criteria.

The primary endpoint is local control rate (LCR) of prespecified target lesions and progression-free survival (PFS). Key secondary endpoints are local progression-free survival (LPFS), overall survival (OS), early pain response, technical success, target-lesion re-intervention rate, and safety (including grade ≥3 treatment-emergent adverse events, CTCAE v5.0). Exploratory analyses include dosimetry-outcome associations, imaging/radiomics biomarkers, and peripheral blood biomarker dynamics.

Read the detailed description

This open-label, randomized Phase II trial aims to evaluate, in patients with unresectable solid tumors, whether a sequential local treatment strategy-percutaneous image-guided iodine-125 (125I) seed implantation followed by cryoablation within a protocol-specified time window-can achieve superior tumor local control compared with single-modality local therapy (125I seed implantation alone or cryoablation alone), while maintaining acceptable safety, thereby providing methodological support and effect-size estimates for subsequent Phase III confirmatory studies.

The study is based on the "spatial-temporal complementarity" of two local modalities. Cryoablation can rapidly induce cytotoxic tumor destruction and reduce tumor burden; however, residual viable cells may persist in the peripheral infiltrative zone, sub-millimeter microscopic remnants, and low-temperature gradient regions near the ablation margin. 125I seed brachytherapy delivers continuous low-dose-rate irradiation and may provide sustained suppression of marginal residual disease and microscopic extension. The trial hypothesis is that, under standardized image guidance and treatment planning/quality control, combining the rapid debulking effect of cryoablation with the sustained inhibitory effect of \^125I seeds will reduce the risk of local recurrence/progression, prolong local disease control, and improve overall local efficacy without a disproportionate increase in severe toxicity.

Eligible participants who complete baseline assessments will be randomized in parallel at a 1:1:1 ratio to one of three treatment arms: (1) sequential combination arm-125I seed implantation followed by cryoablation within a protocol-defined interval; (2) 125I seed implantation alone arm-standardized 125I seed implantation only; or (3) cryoablation alone arm-standardized cryoablation only. Owing to the nature of the interventions, treatment allocation is open label. To minimize assessment bias, all imaging-based efficacy endpoints will be evaluated using a prespecified blinded assessment process by independent assessors who are not involved in treatment delivery and are blinded to treatment assignment; adjudication will be performed when necessary to ensure objective and consistent endpoint determination.

All participants will undergo baseline evaluations before treatment, including tumor burden assessment and confirmation of target lesions, prior treatment history, physical examination and laboratory tests, pain and quality-of-life instruments, and imaging-based staging and target-lesion measurements. Target lesions will be prespecified at baseline as the subjects of subsequent local endpoint assessments. 125I seed implantation will be performed under CT or other site-qualified imaging guidance, with standardized documentation of key planning and dosimetric parameters, including prescription dose, target coverage, and organ-at-risk constraints. Cryoablation will likewise be performed under image guidance according to uniform technical specifications, and technical success and peri-procedural events will be recorded in a standardized manner. In the sequential combination arm, the interval between the two procedures will be explicitly defined in the protocol to ensure comparability of the treatment window across centers.

Endpoints are focused on local control, disease progression, and safety. The primary endpoints are the local control rate (LCR) of prespecified target lesions and progression-free survival (PFS). Key secondary endpoints include local progression-free survival (LPFS), overall survival (OS), early pain response, technical success, target-lesion re-intervention rate, and safety (with particular attention to grade ≥3 treatment-emergent adverse events graded and attributed per CTCAE v5.0). Exploratory analyses include associations between dosimetric parameters and efficacy/toxicity outcomes, imaging/radiomics biomarkers, and the dynamics of peripheral blood biomarkers, to inform protocol refinement and future patient stratification.

02

Conditions studied

  • Unresectable Solid Tumors

Keywords

  • Unresectable solid tumors
  • Iodine-125 seed implantation
  • Cryoablation
  • Sequential local therapy
03

In context

Lead sponsor

Li Min is the lead sponsor of 10 studies on the registry; 9 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

Inclusion criteria

  • Adults aged ≥18 years;
  • Histologically or cytologically confirmed solid tumor that is unresectable and for which local therapy is clinically appropriate;
  • At least one prespecified target lesion suitable for percutaneous image-guided treatment and considered technically feasible for both 125I seed implantation and cryoablation per investigator assessment (and protocol-defined anatomic/dosimetric safety criteria);
  • ECOG performance status 0-2;
  • Adequate organ function, acceptable coagulation status, and the ability to safely undergo percutaneous image-guided procedures;
  • Written informed consent provided.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Prior 125I seed implantation or cryoablation to the same target lesion(s), or other local therapy to the target lesion(s);
  • Target lesion location or anatomy that, in the investigator's judgment, makes either procedure unsafe or unlikely to achieve protocol-defined coverage/ablation (e.g., inability to meet organ-at-risk constraints or required safety margins);
  • Uncontrolled bleeding risk or coagulopathy not correctable per protocol; inability to safely hold/bridge anticoagulants/antiplatelets as required.

Active, uncontrolled infection, including uncontrolled local infection at the intended procedure site;

  • Clinically significant uncontrolled comorbidities that increase procedural risk;
  • Severe organ dysfunction that precludes procedures or follow-up, per protocol-defined thresholds.;
  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding;
  • Known hypersensitivity to materials/medications essential for the procedures (e.g., contrast agents or anesthetics) that cannot be adequately managed;
  • Any condition that would impair reliable outcome assessment or adherence (e.g., inability to undergo required imaging, expected poor compliance), per investigator judgment.
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Study design

Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
150 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Sequential 125I Seed Implantation Followed by Cryoablation

    Participants receive percutaneous image-guided iodine-125 (125I) seed implantation, followed by image-guided cryoablation within a protocol-defined interval.

    Procedure: Sequential 125I Seed Implantation Followed by Cryoablation

  • Active comparator
    125I Seed Implantation Alone

    Participants receive standardized percutaneous image-guided iodine-125 (125I) seed implantation alone.

    Procedure: Iodine-125 (125I) Seed Implantation

  • Active comparator
    Cryoablation Alone

    Participants receive standardized percutaneous image-guided cryoablation alone.

    Procedure: cryoablation

Interventions

  • ProcedureIodine-125 (125I) Seed Implantation

    Percutaneous, image-guided implantation of 125I radioactive seeds into the prespecified target lesion(s) according to a protocol-defined treatment plan. Key planning and dosimetric parameters (e.g., prescription dose, target coverage, and organ-at-risk constraints) are recorded per protocol.

  • Procedurecryoablation

    Percutaneous, image-guided cryoablation of the prespecified target lesion(s) performed using a standardized protocol-defined technique (e.g., applicator placement and freeze-thaw cycles) with documentation of technical success and peri-procedural events per protocol.

  • ProcedureSequential 125I Seed Implantation Followed by Cryoablation

    Combined sequential local therapy consisting of 125I seed implantation followed by cryoablation within a protocol-defined interval; both procedures are performed under image guidance and documented according to protocol-specified standards.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Local Control Rate (LCR)

    Proportion of prespecified target lesion(s) without local progression/recurrence as determined by protocol-defined imaging criteria. Imaging-based assessments are performed by blinded independent reviewers with adjudication as needed.

    Time frame: From randomization up to 12 months

  2. Progression-Free Survival (PFS)

    Time from randomization to first documentation of disease progression (per protocol-defined criteria) or death from any cause, whichever occurs first.

    Time frame: From randomization up to 12 months

Secondary outcomes

  1. Local Progression-Free Survival (LPFS)

    Time from randomization to local progression of the prespecified target lesion(s) or death from any cause, whichever occurs first.

    Time frame: From randomization up to 12 months

  2. Overall Survival (OS)

    Time from randomization to death from any cause.

    Time frame: From randomization up to 24 months

  3. Early Pain Response

    Pain intensity from baseline to 1 month postoperatively will be assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS; 0-10 points, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst pain imaginable; higher scores indicate more severe pain) and will be expressed as the absolute change (ΔVAS = VAS\_\[1 month postoperatively\] - VAS\_\[baseline\], unit: points; ΔVAS \< 0 indicates pain relief).

    Time frame: Baseline to 1 month post-procedure

  4. Technical Success

    Successful completion of the assigned procedure(s) per protocol-defined technical criteria (e.g., planned seed implantation achieved; cryoablation delivered as planned).

    Time frame: During the procedure period (day of procedure)

  5. Target-Lesion Re-intervention Rate

    Proportion of participants requiring any additional local intervention for the prespecified target lesion(s) after initial assigned treatment.

    Time frame: From randomization up to 12 months

  6. Safety (Grade ≥3 Treatment-Emergent Adverse Events)

    Incidence of grade ≥3 treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) graded per CTCAE v5.0; includes serious adverse events and procedure-related complications per protocol.

    Time frame: From first procedure up to 12 months

Other outcomes

  1. Dosimetry-Outcome Associations

    Association between target D90 (unit: Gy; derived from the treatment planning system/DVH) and the incidence of Grade ≥3 treatment-related toxicity (unit: % of participants; assessed per CTCAE v5.0) from baseline through 12 months.

    Time frame: From baseline through 12 months

  2. Radiomics Biomarkers

    Imaging-derived and radiomics features evaluated for association with local control and/or early response.

    Time frame: From baseline through 12 months

  3. Peripheral Blood Biomarker Dynamics

    Longitudinal changes in protocol-specified peripheral blood biomarkers and their associations with efficacy/toxicity outcomes.

    Time frame: From baseline through 12 months

07

Study locations

1 site
  • The 960th Hospital of People's Liberation Army (PLA)
    Jinan, Shandong 250031, China
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Yes — De-identified individual participant data (IPD) will be made available to qualified researchers upon reasonable request after completion of the study and publication of the primary results. Data to be shared may include demographic information, treatment assignment, key efficacy outcomes, adverse events, and imaging-derived parameters. A data-sharing agreement will be required to ensure appropriate use of the dataset.

Supporting information: Study protocol, Icf

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 Mar 4, 2026, 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
NCT07450352
Lead sponsor
Li Min
Responsible party
Li Min (Vice Director, Jinan Military General Hospital) — Sponsor-investigator
First posted
Mar 4, 2026
Start date
Feb 2026 (estimated)
Primary completion
Jul 1, 2027 (estimated)
Completion
Jul 1, 2028 (estimated)
Last update
Mar 4, 2026

Study contacts

Min Li, Dr.
Contact
liminyingxiang.@163.com
0531-51665482
Min Li, Dr.
Contact
924787237@qq.com
Min Li
study director · The 960th Hospital of People's Liberation Army (PLA)

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 not yet recruiting, as verified in Feb 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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