Pancreatic NeoplasmsNCT02892305
Hepatic Resection for Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer
An observational study of Pancreatic Neoplasms and Neoplasm Metastasis, run by Duke University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the feasibility of an aggressive multimodal approach among patients with stage IV pancreatic cancer (PAC) with isolated, low-volume hepatic metastasis (LVHM). Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 90 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Pancreatic Neoplasms, Neoplasm Metastasis, Liver Metastases
- What is being tested?
- Hepatic Resection or Ablation with Pancreaticoduodenectomy
- Type of treatment
- Surgery or procedure
- How many people
- 18 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 18 May 2018to 30 Jun 2027
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 to 90 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: Patients with biopsy-proven, or radiographically evident, resectable pancreatic head cancer who are found to have low-volume hepatic metastases at time of pancreaticoduodenectomy.
Who may be able to join
- Subject must be at least 18 years of age and at least the minimum Age of Majority according to applicable State or Country Law
- Subject is a surgical candidate, (i.e., is able to undergo general anesthesia and surgical resection for diagnosis of cancer)
- The Hepatobiliary Multidisciplinary Committee (HDMC) must approved of this intervention.
- Insurance pre-authorization must be received unless the subject decides to pay out of pocket..
- Subject has been informed of the study procedures and the treatment and has signed an informed consent form
- less than or equal to 3 liver lesions
Who cannot join
- Subject is not a suitable candidate for surgical intervention
- The Hepatobiliary Multidisciplinary Committee (HDMC) disapproves of this intervention.
- Insurance will not cover the procedure or subject not willing to pay out of pocket.
- Pregnant women
- Non-English speaking Subjects
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Duke University Health System
Durham, North Carolina, 27710
About this study
The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the feasibility of an aggressive multimodal approach among patients with stage IV pancreatic cancer (PAC) with isolated, low-volume hepatic metastasis (LVHM). We will evaluate and describe the surgical and overall outcomes of an initial cohort of subjects who undergo pancreatectomy and hepatic resection/ablation for PAC with LVHM. The end of study results will be reviewed by the Hepatiobiliary Multidisciplinary Conference (HDMC) and Surgery Audit Committee (SAC) to determine the appropriateness of adding this treatment arm for patients with oligometastatic metastatic pancreatic cancer.
Read the detailed description
This is a small interventional pilot study that will be conducted as a single-site study at Duke University Health System (DUHS). All subjects with pancreatic cancer and low-volume liver metastases (< or = 3 lesions) who meet criteria for pancreatic and liver resection will be offered the opportunity to participate. Potential subjects will be referred by the Medical Oncology physicians at Duke if they feel like the patient would be suitable for this study. We anticipate enrolling 15 subjects to include 10 evaluable subjects in the analysis.
Any subject who consents to the study will proceed with primary resection, including pancreaticoduodenectomy or distal pancreatectomy, and liver resection/ablation of the metastases.
Screening will include a medical record review, standard of care CT scan/MRI, clinical evaluation including physical, vitals, height weight and routine blood tests.
Preoperative data such as sex, race, age at resection, ASA class, race, body mass index (BMI), pretreatment staging, CA 19-9 (missing in open PD), tumor size (cm), and neoadjuvant therapy (no; yes), time to initiation and completion will also be captured.
Perioperative data like date of surgery, OR time, ASA class, intra-operative transfusion requirements, fluid administration, EBL, operative complications (including but not limited to infection, bleeding, need for re-operation, thrombus, pancreatic leak, bile leak, liver failure, nutritional data like use of TPN and tube feedings, and length of stay will be collected.
Post-operative data regarding re-admission and surveillance data for oncologic outcomes such as re-operation, final pathology margin status, nodal status, and postoperative CA 19-9, as well as DFS and OS, including date of death if applicable, during the provided follow up period.
To ensure accurate and complete incorporation of medical data, a database of perioperative outcomes will be prospectively maintained during the subject's hospital stay and for the first 3 months following surgery. Duke University is a member of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP), with 100% participation in Hepatopancreaticobiliary (HPB) procedures. As such, all preoperative data and 30-day outcomes are collected by a fully trained Surgical Clinical Reviewer and are available within our electronic medical record (EMR). NSQIP provides a robust, audited dataset that has been validated to optimize the accuracy of data collection, substantially reducing the cost and resource requirements of data extraction. Following this 30-day period, data will be collected at regularly scheduled clinic visits, which typically occur weekly until 6-12 weeks post-surgery, then 3-4 months for the first year, and every 6 months thereafter and stored in a local, REDCap database.
Subjects' medical records will be continually reviewed for surgical complications and for overall survival (date of subject death).
- Conditions
- Pancreatic Neoplasms, Neoplasm Metastasis, Liver Metastases
- Being tested
- Hepatic Resection or Ablation with Pancreaticoduodenectomy
- Keywords
- Pancreaticoduodenectomy, Hepatectomy, Liver ablation, Whipple
- Medical subject headings
- Pancreatic Neoplasms, Neoplasm Metastasis
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Hepatic Resection or Ablation with PancreaticoduodenectomyProcedure or surgery
Also called Whipple, Hepatectomy, Microwave Ablation
Patients will undergo pancreaticoduodenectomy, or the Whipple procedure, which involves removal of the head of the pancreas, the duodenum, and a portion of the stomach, as well as the gallbladder and a portion of the bile duct.
The patient will also undergo a Hepatectomy, the surgical resection or removal of all or part of the liver or Microwave Ablation (MWA) if determined by the surgeon to be the best course of care.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| PAC with LVLM | Patients with pancreatic cancer and low-volume liver metastasis Receives: Procedure: Hepatic Resection or Ablation with Pancreaticoduodenectomy |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
90-day mortality
Number of deaths within 90 days of operation
Measured: 90 days postoperatively
Disease Progression
Time to disease progression
Measured: up to 1 year postoperatively
Overall Survival
Number of months until death
Measured: up to 1 year postoperatively
Secondary outcomes (8)
Postoperative length of stay
Number of days in the hospital post-surgery
Measured: 90 days postoperatively
Frequency of pancreatic leak
Number of leaks (Types A, B, C and bile)
Measured: 1-2 weeks postoperatively
Readmission to hospital
Number of patients readmitted to the hospital post-operatively
Measured: 90 days postoperatively
Margin status
Number of patients with positive margins
Measured: 90 days postoperatively
Lymph node status
Number of positive lymph nodes
Measured: 90 days postoperatively
Time to Adjuvant therapy
Length of time to treatment after surgery
Measured: Up to 5 years postoperatively
OR time
Length of time in the OR during surgery
Measured: 1-2 days
Intraoperative estimated blood loss
Amount of blood loss during surgery in milliliters
Measured: 1-2 days
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted8 Sep 2016 (estimated)
- Study start18 May 2018
- Primary completion17 May 2023
- Study completion30 Jun 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Pancreatic NeoplasmsStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Duke UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 18 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Duke University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Sabino Zani, MD, Principal investigator, Duke Health
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02892305
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Pro00073208
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 29 Aug 2016
- Last updated
- 27 Aug 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Argentiero A, Calabrese A, Sciacovelli AM, Delcuratolo S, Solimando AG, Brunetti O. Complete Response of Synchronous Liver Metastasis in a Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, When Surgery Could Represent a Therapeutic Option. Can J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2020 Oct 9;2020:8679751. doi: 10.1155/2020/8679751. eCollection 2020.
PubMed 33102398
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 27 Aug 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Hepatic Resection for Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02892305
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Pro00073208
- Conditions
- Pancreatic Neoplasms, Neoplasm Metastasis, Liver Metastases
- Keywords
- Pancreaticoduodenectomy, Hepatectomy, Liver ablation, Whipple
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Active, not recruiting
- Enrolment
- 18 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Duke UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 18 May 2018 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 17 May 2023 (actual)
- Study completion
- 30 Jun 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 8 Sep 2016 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the feasibility of an aggressive multimodal approach among patients with stage IV pancreatic cancer (PAC) with isolated, low-volume hepatic metastasis (LVHM). We will evaluate and describe the surgical and overall outcomes of an initial cohort of subjects who undergo pancreatectomy and hepatic resection/ablation for PAC with LVHM. The end of study results will be reviewed by the Hepatiobiliary Multidisciplinary Conference (HDMC) and Surgery Audit Committee (SAC) to determine the appropriateness of adding this treatment arm for patients with oligometastatic metastatic pancreatic cancer.
Detailed description
This is a small interventional pilot study that will be conducted as a single-site study at Duke University Health System (DUHS). All subjects with pancreatic cancer and low-volume liver metastases (< or = 3 lesions) who meet criteria for pancreatic and liver resection will be offered the opportunity to participate. Potential subjects will be referred by the Medical Oncology physicians at Duke if they feel like the patient would be suitable for this study. We anticipate enrolling 15 subjects to include 10 evaluable subjects in the analysis.
Any subject who consents to the study will proceed with primary resection, including pancreaticoduodenectomy or distal pancreatectomy, and liver resection/ablation of the metastases.
Screening will include a medical record review, standard of care CT scan/MRI, clinical evaluation including physical, vitals, height weight and routine blood tests.
Preoperative data such as sex, race, age at resection, ASA class, race, body mass index (BMI), pretreatment staging, CA 19-9 (missing in open PD), tumor size (cm), and neoadjuvant therapy (no; yes), time to initiation and completion will also be captured.
Perioperative data like date of surgery, OR time, ASA class, intra-operative transfusion requirements, fluid administration, EBL, operative complications (including but not limited to infection, bleeding, need for re-operation, thrombus, pancreatic leak, bile leak, liver failure, nutritional data like use of TPN and tube feedings, and length of stay will be collected.
Post-operative data regarding re-admission and surveillance data for oncologic outcomes such as re-operation, final pathology margin status, nodal status, and postoperative CA 19-9, as well as DFS and OS, including date of death if applicable, during the provided follow up period.
To ensure accurate and complete incorporation of medical data, a database of perioperative outcomes will be prospectively maintained during the subject's hospital stay and for the first 3 months following surgery. Duke University is a member of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP), with 100% participation in Hepatopancreaticobiliary (HPB) procedures. As such, all preoperative data and 30-day outcomes are collected by a fully trained Surgical Clinical Reviewer and are available within our electronic medical record (EMR). NSQIP provides a robust, audited dataset that has been validated to optimize the accuracy of data collection, substantially reducing the cost and resource requirements of data extraction. Following this 30-day period, data will be collected at regularly scheduled clinic visits, which typically occur weekly until 6-12 weeks post-surgery, then 3-4 months for the first year, and every 6 months thereafter and stored in a local, REDCap database.
Subjects' medical records will be continually reviewed for surgical complications and for overall survival (date of subject death).
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| PAC with LVLM | – | Procedure: Hepatic Resection or Ablation with PancreaticoduodenectomyPatients with pancreatic cancer and low-volume liver metastasis |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 90 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- Patients with biopsy-proven, or radiographically evident, resectable pancreatic head cancer who are found to have low-volume hepatic metastases at time of pancreaticoduodenectomy.
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Subject must be at least 18 years of age and at least the minimum Age of Majority according to applicable State or Country Law
- Subject is a surgical candidate, (i.e., is able to undergo general anesthesia and surgical resection for diagnosis of cancer)
- The Hepatobiliary Multidisciplinary Committee (HDMC) must approved of this intervention.
- Insurance pre-authorization must be received unless the subject decides to pay out of pocket..
- Subject has been informed of the study procedures and the treatment and has signed an informed consent form
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Subject is not a suitable candidate for surgical intervention
- The Hepatobiliary Multidisciplinary Committee (HDMC) disapproves of this intervention.
- Insurance will not cover the procedure or subject not willing to pay out of pocket.
- Pregnant women
- Non-English speaking Subjects
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Hepatic Resection or Ablation with PancreaticoduodenectomyAlso: Whipple, Hepatectomy, Microwave AblationPatients will undergo pancreaticoduodenectomy, or the Whipple procedure, which involves removal of the head of the pancreas, the duodenum, and a portion of the stomach, as well as the gallbladder and a portion of the bile duct. The patient will also undergo a Hepatectomy, the surgical resection or removal of all or part of the liver or Microwave Ablation (MWA) if determined by the surgeon to be the best course of care. | Procedure or surgery | PAC with LVLM |
Primary outcome
90-day mortality
Time frame: 90 days postoperatively
Number of deaths within 90 days of operation
Disease Progression
Time frame: up to 1 year postoperatively
Time to disease progression
Overall Survival
Time frame: up to 1 year postoperatively
Number of months until death
8 secondary outcomes
Postoperative length of stay
Time frame: 90 days postoperatively
Frequency of pancreatic leak
Time frame: 1-2 weeks postoperatively
Readmission to hospital
Time frame: 90 days postoperatively
Margin status
Time frame: 90 days postoperatively
Lymph node status
Time frame: 90 days postoperatively
Time to Adjuvant therapy
Time frame: Up to 5 years postoperatively
OR time
Time frame: 1-2 days
Intraoperative estimated blood loss
Time frame: 1-2 days
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 27 Aug 2026.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 33102398Argentiero A, Calabrese A, Sciacovelli AM, Delcuratolo S, Solimando AG, Brunetti O. Complete Response of Synchronous Liver Metastasis in a Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, When Surgery Could Represent a Therapeutic Option. Can J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2020 Oct 9;2020:8679751. doi: 10.1155/2020/8679751. eCollection 2020.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Sabino Zani, MD principal investigator
Duke Health
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Pancreatic Neoplasms and Neoplasm Metastasis, run by Duke University at 1 site in United States.
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 5 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: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 27 Aug 2026. 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 United States. 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.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
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?
90-day mortality (time frame: 90 days postoperatively). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. 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 NCT02892305, which also lists 1 linked publication.
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 27 Aug 2026.