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GlioblastomaPhase 1/2NCT00115440

BNCT to Treat Glioma That Has Progressed Following Radiotherapy

A Phase 1/2 study testing Bononophenylalanine (BPA)-based BNCT in people with Glioblastoma and Anaplastic Astrocytoma, run by Boneca Corporation at 1 site in Finland.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is an experimental radiation therapy technique which is based on the principle of irradiating boron atoms with neutrons. When neutrons have relatively low energy, boron atoms that have been targeted to cancerous tissue using a suitable boron carrier (an amino acid derivative called… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Glioblastoma, Anaplastic Astrocytoma
What is being tested?
Bononophenylalanine (BPA)-based BNCT
Type of treatment
Surgery or procedure
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
22 participants
Where
1 siteFinland
Study dates
Mar 2001to Jan 2009
Phase
Phase 1/2
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Histologically confirmed supratentorial glioblastoma or anaplastic astrocytoma.
  • Recurred tumor after surgery and radiotherapy or tumor progressing after radiotherapy.
  • Recurrence/progression has been confirmed by serial MRI scans and a biopsy, or by debulking surgery.
  • The World Health Organization performance status <2.
  • WBC >2,500/mm3, platelet count >75,000/mm3, serum creatinine <180 umol/L.
  • A written informed consent

Who cannot join

  • Age less than 18
  • Tumor infiltrates into the brain stem or the optic tracts
  • The majority of tumor tissue consists of grade II glioma with only a focal grade III component
  • A minimum gross tumor dose of 17 Gy (W) is not obtained in dose-planning
  • Less than 6 months has elapsed from the last date of external irradiation
  • Less than 4 weeks has elapsed from the last cancer chemotherapy dose prior to giving BNCT
Show all 18Show fewer
  • The total conventional radiation therapy dose given is more than 61 Gy or less than 50 Gy, or one of nonconventional fractionation schemes has been used (conventional: 1.8-2.0 Gy/day, 5 days per week, weekly dose 9 to 10 Gy)
  • More than approximately 1/3 of the total brain volume has been within the 90% isodose
  • Gliomas where the enhancing tumor volume is larger than 2/3 of the volume of one hemisphere in the MRI examination preceding BNCT
  • More than one radiotherapy course has been given to the brain tumor
  • Untreated congestive heart failure or renal failure
  • Uncontrolled brain oedema despite the use of corticosteroids
  • A cardiac pace-maker or an unremovable metal implant present in the head and neck region that will interfere with MRI-based dose-planning
  • Restlessness or inability to lie in a cast for 30 to 60 minutes
  • Clinical follow-up after therapy cannot be arranged
  • Pregnancy
  • Inability to understand treatment options
  • Unwillingness to take part in the follow-up schedule

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Finland1 site
  • Department of Oncology, Helsinki University Central Hospital

    Helsinki, FIN-00029

Other trials in Finland

About this study

Official title: BPA-Mediated Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) in the Treatment of Glioblastoma or Anaplastic Astrocytoma Progressing After Conventional External Beam Radiotherapy

Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is an experimental radiation therapy technique which is based on the principle of irradiating boron atoms with neutrons. When neutrons have relatively low energy, boron atoms that have been targeted to cancerous tissue using a suitable boron carrier (an amino acid derivative called BPA, boronophenylalanine) will capture the neutrons. As a result from the neutron capture the boron atoms will split into two, producing helium and lithium ions. The helium and lithium ions, in turn, have only a short pathlength in tissue (about 5 micrometers) and will deposit their cell damaging effect mainly within the tumor provided that the boron carrier (BPA) has accumulated in the tumor. In practice, the study participants will receive BPA as an approximately 2-hour intravenous infusion, following which the tumor is irradiated with low energy (epithermal) neutrons obtained from a nuclear reactor at the BNCT facility. BNCT requires careful radiation dose planning, but neutron irradiation will last approximately only for one hour. In this study BNCT is given once. The study hypothesis is that anaplastic astrocytomas and glioblastomas that have recurred following conventional radiotherapy might accumulate the boron carrier compound, and might respond to BNCT.

Read the detailed description

This is a single BNCT-facility, non-randomized, non-comparative, prospective, open-label, phase I/II study to determine the value of BNCT in the treatment of inoperable, irradiated, progressing anaplastic astrocytomas or glioblastomas following conventional radiation therapy. The neutron irradiation site is the FiR 1 reactor site, located at Otaniemi, Espoo, Finland, about 6 kilometers from the Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, where patient evaluation and post-irradiation care will take place.

BPA is infused as a fructose complex (BPA-F) into a peripheral vein over 2 hours prior to neutron irradiation. Blood samples will be taken before starting the BPA infusion, and thereafter at 20 to 40 minute intervals during the infusion, following infusion, and after delivering neutron irradiation to monitor the blood boron concentration. The blood samples will be analyzed for boron to estimate the average blood boron level during neutron irradiation. A minimum tumor dose of 17 Gy (W) is given while limiting the normal brain maximum peak dose to 8 Gy (W), and the average normal brain dose to 6 Gy (W). The first 10 patients will be given BPA 290 mg/kg, following which the BPA dose will be escalated in cohorts of 3 subjects gradually up to 450 mg/kg, provided that protocol-specified unacceptable toxicity will not occur.

All patients will be evaluated for response using CT or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Being tested
Bononophenylalanine (BPA)-based BNCT
Keywords
glioblastoma, anaplastic astrocytoma, boron neutron capture therapy, radiation therapy, boronophenylalanine
Medical subject headings
Glioblastoma, Astrocytoma

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Bononophenylalanine (BPA)-based BNCTRadiation

    Boronophenylalanine is infused into a peripheral vein prior to neutron irradiation.

Study groups in NCT00115440
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
AExperimentalActive treatment arm.
Receives: Radiation: Bononophenylalanine (BPA)-based BNCT

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. safety

    Measured: 3 years

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. survival

    Measured: 3 years

  2. adverse effects of BNCT

    Measured: 3 years

  3. quality-of-life

    Measured: 3 years

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted23 Jun 2005 (estimated)
  2. Study startMar 2001
  3. Primary completionDec 2008
  4. Study completionJan 2009

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 1/2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Non-randomised
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
22 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00115440
Sponsor's protocol ID
FIN-BNCT-03/2000
Other IDs
BNCT P-03
Status last verified
Sep 2007
First submitted
22 Jun 2005
Last updated
28 Jan 2009
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No

Publications

  • Kouri M, Kankaanranta L, Seppala T, Tervo L, Rasilainen M, Minn H, Eskola O, Vahatalo J, Paetau A, Savolainen S, Auterinen I, Jaaskelainen J, Joensuu H. Undifferentiated sinonasal carcinoma may respond to single-fraction boron neutron capture therapy. Radiother Oncol. 2004 Jul;72(1):83-5. doi: 10.1016/j.radonc.2004.03.016.

    PubMed 15236879
  • Joensuu H, Kankaanranta L, Seppala T, Auterinen I, Kallio M, Kulvik M, Laakso J, Vahatalo J, Kortesniemi M, Kotiluoto P, Seren T, Karila J, Brander A, Jarviluoma E, Ryynanen P, Paetau A, Ruokonen I, Minn H, Tenhunen M, Jaaskelainen J, Farkkila M, Savolainen S. Boron neutron capture therapy of brain tumors: clinical trials at the finnish facility using boronophenylalanine. J Neurooncol. 2003 Mar-Apr;62(1-2):123-34. doi: 10.1007/BF02699939.

    PubMed 12749708

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 1/2 study testing Bononophenylalanine (BPA)-based BNCT in people with Glioblastoma and Anaplastic Astrocytoma, run by Boneca Corporation at 1 site in Finland.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 18 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 28 Jan 2009. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Finland. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this combined phase mean?

Phase 1 studies test a treatment in a small group of people for the first time or in a new way, mainly to check safety and find the right dose.

Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

safety (time frame: 3 years). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00115440, which also lists 2 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 28 Jan 2009.

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