Non-Small Cell Lung CancerPhase 3USZ-STRIKENCT05522660
Immunotherapy or Targeted Therapy With or Without Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Patients With Brain Metastases From Melanoma or Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
A Phase 3 study testing Stereotactic radiosurgery and Immune checkpoint inhibitor in people with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Melanoma, run by ETOP IBCSG Partners Foundation at 15 sites in 5 countries.
Trial summary
The primary objective of the study is to assess the efficacy in terms of CNS-specific PFS of the combination of standard systemic treatment plus SRS vs. standard systemic treatment alone in patients with newly diagnosed and untreated (except for surgery) asymptomatic or oligosymptomatic brain metastases from melanoma… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Melanoma
- What is being tested?
- Stereotactic radiosurgery and Immune checkpoint inhibitor
- Type of treatment
- Surgery or procedure
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 180 participants
- Where
- 15 sitesin 5 countries
- Study dates
- 30 Nov 2022to Dec 2026
- Phase
- Phase 3
- 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 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Most important inclusion criteria:
- Newly diagnosed, previously untreated (except for surgery, see below) asymptomatic or oligo-symptomatic brain metastases, e.g., controlled symptomatic seizure disorder. Note: patients with neurological symptoms or signs that require more than a stable dose of 4 mg dexamethasone equivalent for more than one week are not considered oligo-symptomatic.
- Requirements for brain metastases:
- Brain metastases must be previously untreated, except for surgery.
- Prior surgery (including biopsies, resection, and cyst aspiration) for brain metastases is allowed. Residual and measurable disease after surgery is not required, but surgery must have confirmed the diagnosis. An MRI performed within 72 hours post-surgery should be available.
- Number and size of metastases at diagnosis of brain metastases:
- Maximum 1-10 brain metastases at screening
- At least one brain metastasis must be of ≥5 mm in diameter
- In case of 1-4 brain metastases:
- Longest diameter of largest brain metastasis must be ≤30 mm
- In case of 5-10 brain metastases:
- Largest metastasis must be ≤10 mL in volume and longest diameter must be ≤30 mm
- Maximum cumulative brain metastases volume must be ≤30 mL
- Primary disease of histologically confirmed (from primary tumour or from a metastatic lesion, including in the brain) melanoma or NSCLC
- Requirements for patients with melanoma:
- Prior treatment, including treatment with immune-checkpoint inhibitors is permitted, but brain metastases must be newly diagnosed and previously untreated (except for surgery).
- BRAF-mutation status, locally assessed, should be known (previous adjuvant BRAF-targeted therapy is allowed).
- Requirements for patients with NSCLC:
- Newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve (except for prior surgery) metastatic NSCLC, with or without a targetable oncogenic driver alteration.
- Known PD-L1 expression status (from primary tumour or from a metastatic lesion, including brain)
- Known driver mutation status (from primary tumour or from a metastatic lesion, including brain).
- Age of 18 years or older
- Karnofsky performance status of 60 or more
- Life expectancy >12 weeks
- Patients must be candidates for systemic treatment, within the defined cohorts (melanoma: cohorts 1a and 1b; NSCLC: cohorts 2a and 2b).
- Women of childbearing potential, including women who had their last menstruation in the last 2 years, must have a negative urinary or serum pregnancy test within 7 days before randomisation.
- Written IC for study participation must be signed and dated by the patient and the investigator prior to any study-related intervention.
Most important exclusion criteria:
- Confirmed or probable leptomeningeal metastases according to EANO ESMO criteria
- Symptomatic brain metastases at time of randomisation, e.g., neurological symptoms or signs that require more than a stable dose of 4 mg dexamethasone equivalent for more than one week.
- Patients must be off steroids or on a stable dose of ≤4 mg dexamethasone equivalent at randomisation.
- Patients experiencing seizures controlled by anti-epileptic drugs are eligible.
- Prior whole brain irradiation or focal radiation therapy to the brain
- Prior systemic treatment for brain metastases
- Contra-indication for SRS
- Judgment by the investigator that the patient should not participate in the study if the patient is unlikely to comply with study procedures, restrictions and requirements.
- Women who are pregnant or in the period of lactation.
- Sexually active men and women of childbearing potential who are not willing to use an effective contraceptive method during the study.
Trial locations and contacts
15 sites in 5 countries. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
15 sites in 5 countries
Italy6 sites, 6 recruiting
- Recruiting
Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS "Fondazione G. Pascale"
Naples
Paolo Ascierto, p.ascierto@istitutotumori.na.it
- Not yet recruiting
Instituto Oncologico Veneto IRCCS
Padova
Luisa Piccin, luisa.piccin@iov.veneto.it
- Recruiting
Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital
Perugia
Mario Mandala, mario.mandala@unipg.it
- Recruiting
Istituto Nazionale Tumori "Regina Elena"
Roma
Gabriele Minuti, gabriele.minuti@ifo.it
- Recruiting
Policlinico Umberto 1
Rome
Giuseppe Minniti, giuseppe.minniti@uniroma1.it
- Recruiting
Azienda ospedaliero-universitaria Senese Siena
Siena
Anna Maria di Giacomo, a.m.digiacomo@ao-siena.toscana.it
Spain3 sites, 3 recruiting
- Recruiting
Vall Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO)
Barcelona
Patricia Irano, piranzo@vhio.net
- Recruiting
Hospital Puerta de Hierro
Majadahonda
Ana Collazo Lorduy, anaclorduy@gmail.com
- Recruiting
Hospital La Fe
Valencia
Oscar Jose Juan Vidal, juan_osc@gva.es
Switzerland3 sites, 3 recruiting
- Recruiting
Inselspital
Bern
Ekin Ermis, ekin.ermis@insel.ch
- Recruiting
Kantonsspital Winterthur
Winterthur
Natalie Fischer, natalie.fischer@ksw.ch
- Recruiting
Universitätsspital Zürich
Zurich
Michael Weller, Prof., Michael.Weller@usz.ch
United Kingdom2 sites, 2 recruiting
- Recruiting
Royal Marsden (Sutton)
London
Mary O'Brian, mary.obrien@rmh.nhs.uk
- Recruiting
Christie NHS Manchester
Manchester
Sarah Hughes, sarah.hughes91@nhs.net
Netherlands1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
NKI-AVL
Amsterdam
Paul Baas, p.baas@nki.nl
About this study
Official title: A Multicentre Randomised Open-label Phase III Study of Stereotactic Radiosurgery, in Addition to Standard Systemic Therapy for Patients With Metastatic Melanoma or Newly Diagnosed Metastatic NSCLC and Asymptomatic or Oligo-symptomatic Brain Metastases
The primary objective of the study is to assess the efficacy in terms of CNS-specific PFS of the combination of standard systemic treatment plus SRS vs. standard systemic treatment alone in patients with newly diagnosed and untreated (except for surgery) asymptomatic or oligosymptomatic brain metastases from melanoma or NSCLC. This proposed randomised phase III clinical study addresses one of the most controversial issues in the current approach to patients with brain mets: the timing of SRS in patients eligible for systemic immune checkpoint inhibition or targeted therapy in order to guide therapeutic options as to what strategy allows the best compromise between best survival and best QoL.
- Conditions
- Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Melanoma
- Being tested
- Stereotactic radiosurgery, Immune checkpoint inhibitor
- Medical subject headings
- Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung, Melanoma
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Stereotactic radiosurgeryRadiation
Depending on the investigator's preference, the following standard of care fractionation schedules are recommended: 1x 18-22 Gy, 3x 9 Gy or 5x 6 Gy. Fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy is favoured in principle, but not mandated, for postoperative radiotherapy and for metastases with a diameter of >20 mm or for >4 brain metastases.
For patients randomised to Arm A, radiotherapy should be initiated within 14 days after randomisation.
Immune checkpoint inhibitorDrug
Also called standard of care treatment
Systemic therapy follows the current standard of care, according to the type of the primary tumour.
- For patients with melanoma, with or without BRAF-mutation, systemic therapy consists of
- an approved immune-checkpoint inhibition combination therapy (cohort 1a) or
- an approved immune-checkpoint inhibition monotherapy (cohort 1b).
- For patients with NSCLC and a targetable oncogenic driver alteration (cohort 2a), systemic therapy consists of an approved targeted therapy (for example: EGFR-, ALK- or ROS1-targeted treatment).
- For patients with NSCLC without a targetable oncogenic driver alteration (cohort 2b), systemic therapy consists of an approved immune-checkpoint inhibition therapy (with or without chemotherapy).
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Standard systemic treatment with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) | Experimental | Arm A Receives: Radiation: Stereotactic radiosurgery; Drug: Immune checkpoint inhibitor |
| Standard systemic treatment without stereotactic radiosurgery | Active comparator | Arm B Receives: Drug: Immune checkpoint inhibitor |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
CNS-specific PFS, locally assessed as per iRANO criteria
The primary objective of the study is to assess the efficacy in terms of CNS-specific progression-free survival (PFS) of the combination of standard systemic treatment plus SRS versus standard systemic treatment alone in patients with newly diagnosed and untreated (except surgery) asymptomatic or oligo-symptomatic brain metastases from melanoma or non-small cell lung cancer, with indication for systemic therapy.
Measured: from date of randomization until the date of documented CNS-specific progression, assessed up to 42 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted31 Aug 2022
- Study start30 Nov 2022
- Primary completionSep 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionDec 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Non-Small Cell Lung CancerStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- 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
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase 3
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 180 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- ETOP IBCSG Partners Foundation
- Sponsor type
- Research network
- Collaborators
- USZ Foundation
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Michael Weller, MD, Study chair, University of ZurichRolf Stahel, MD, Study chair, ETOP IBCSG Partners Foundation
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05522660
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- ETOP 19-21
- Acronym
- USZ-STRIKE
- Status last verified
- Apr 2026
- First submitted
- 23 Aug 2022
- Last updated
- 27 Apr 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 27 Apr 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Multicentre Randomised Open-label Phase III Study of Stereotactic Radiosurgery, in Addition to Standard Systemic Therapy for Patients With Metastatic Melanoma or Newly Diagnosed Metastatic NSCLC and Asymptomatic or Oligo-symptomatic Brain Metastases
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05522660
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- USZ-STRIKE / ETOP 19-21
- Conditions
- Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Melanoma
- Phase
- Phase 3
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 180 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- ETOP IBCSG Partners FoundationResearch network
- Collaborators
- USZ Foundation
- Study start
- 30 Nov 2022 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Sep 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Dec 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 31 Aug 2022 (actual)
- 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 primary objective of the study is to assess the efficacy in terms of CNS-specific PFS of the combination of standard systemic treatment plus SRS vs. standard systemic treatment alone in patients with newly diagnosed and untreated (except for surgery) asymptomatic or oligosymptomatic brain metastases from melanoma or NSCLC. This proposed randomised phase III clinical study addresses one of the most controversial issues in the current approach to patients with brain mets: the timing of SRS in patients eligible for systemic immune checkpoint inhibition or targeted therapy in order to guide therapeutic options as to what strategy allows the best compromise between best survival and best QoL.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Standard systemic treatment with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) | Experimental | Radiation: Stereotactic radiosurgery, Drug: Immune checkpoint inhibitorArm A |
| Standard systemic treatment without stereotactic radiosurgery | Active comparator | Drug: Immune checkpoint inhibitorArm B |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Stereotactic radiosurgeryDepending on the investigator's preference, the following standard of care fractionation schedules are recommended: 1x 18-22 Gy, 3x 9 Gy or 5x 6 Gy. Fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy is favoured in principle, but not mandated, for postoperative radiotherapy and for metastases with a diameter of >20 mm or for >4 brain metastases. For patients randomised to Arm A, radiotherapy should be initiated within 14 days after randomisation. | Radiation | Standard systemic treatment with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) |
| Immune checkpoint inhibitorAlso: standard of care treatmentSystemic therapy follows the current standard of care, according to the type of the primary tumour. * For patients with melanoma, with or without BRAF-mutation, systemic therapy consists of * an approved immune-checkpoint inhibition combination therapy (cohort 1a) or * an approved immune-checkpoint inhibition monotherapy (cohort 1b). * For patients with NSCLC and a targetable oncogenic driver alteration (cohort 2a), systemic therapy consists of an approved targeted therapy (for example: EGFR-, ALK- or ROS1-targeted treatment). * For patients with NSCLC without a targetable oncogenic driver alteration (cohort 2b), systemic therapy consists of an approved immune-checkpoint inhibition therapy (with or without chemotherapy). | Drug | Standard systemic treatment with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), Standard systemic treatment without stereotactic radiosurgery |
Primary outcome
CNS-specific PFS, locally assessed as per iRANO criteria
Time frame: from date of randomization until the date of documented CNS-specific progression, assessed up to 42 months
The primary objective of the study is to assess the efficacy in terms of CNS-specific progression-free survival (PFS) of the combination of standard systemic treatment plus SRS versus standard systemic treatment alone in patients with newly diagnosed and untreated (except surgery) asymptomatic or oligo-symptomatic brain metastases from melanoma or non-small cell lung cancer, with indication for systemic therapy.
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 Apr 2026.
- 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.
Michael Weller, MD study chair
University of Zurich
Rolf Stahel, MD study chair
ETOP IBCSG Partners Foundation
15 sites in 5 countries: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 3 study testing Stereotactic radiosurgery and Immune checkpoint inhibitor in people with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Melanoma, run by ETOP IBCSG Partners Foundation at 15 sites in 5 countries.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 27 Apr 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 15 sites in Italy, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Netherlands. 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 phase mean?
Phase 3 studies compare the treatment with the current standard treatment or a placebo in a large group, to confirm how well it works and watch for side effects.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
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?
Contact Heidi Roschitzki-Voser, Dr. (+41 31 511 94 18, heidi.roschitzki@etop.ibcsg.org), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
CNS-specific PFS, locally assessed as per iRANO criteria (time frame: from date of randomization until the date of documented CNS-specific progression, assessed up to 42 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 Apr 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 1 Nov 2026.