Thoracic NeoplasmsNCT07479199
Local Radiofrequency Ablation Plus External Beam Radiation for the Treatment of Painful Thoracic and Lumbar Spine Tumors
An observational study of Thoracic Neoplasms and Lumbar Neoplasm, run by UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This study looks at how well a combination of treatments helps reduce pain in people with tumors in the middle and lower back (thoracic and lumbar spine). All participants receive the same treatment, which includes a procedure to stabilize the spine (kyphoplasty), radiofrequency ablation will be with the Osteocool… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Thoracic Neoplasms, Lumbar Neoplasm
- What is being tested?
- kyphoplasty with Osteocool
- Type of treatment
- Surgery or procedure
- How many people
- 70 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 16 Mar 2026to 1 Mar 2031
- 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 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: Patient with metastatic thoracic and lumbar spine tumors treated at UNC Chapel Hill
Who may be able to join
- Written informed consent obtained to participate in the study and HIPAA authorization for release of personal health information.
- Subjects is willing and able to comply with study procedures based on the judgement of the investigator.
- Age ≥ 18 years at the time of consent.
- Life expectancy beyond completion of protocol intervention of at least 1 month and deemed appropriate for treatment based on multidisciplinary review and/or investigator discretion.
- Metastatic thoracic or lumbar spine tumor. Tumor should be lytic or mixed lytic/blastic. Note: there does not need to be a fracture.
- Patient reported back pain of ≥ 5 on a VAS scale
Who cannot join
- Active infection requiring systemic therapy.
- Pregnant or breastfeeding (NOTE: breast milk cannot be stored for future use while the mother is being treated on study).
- Is currently taking Avastin or anti-coagulant meds that cannot be held.
- Is currently enrolled in a cancer related clinical trial.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Desma Jones contact
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
UNC Hospitals
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599
Markeela Lipscomb, 919-843-9463, markeela_lipscomb@med.unc
Desma Jones, 919-984-0000, ddesma_jones@med.unc.edu
About this study
Official title: Local Radiofrequency Ablation Plus External Beam Radiation for the Treatment of Painful Thoracic and Lumbar Spine Tumors -SPARC
This study looks at how well a combination of treatments helps reduce pain in people with tumors in the middle and lower back (thoracic and lumbar spine). All participants receive the same treatment, which includes a procedure to stabilize the spine (kyphoplasty), radiofrequency ablation will be with the Osteocool system and radiation therapy. The goal is to see how effective this combined approach is at relieving pain.
The purpose of this study is to find out whether combining these three treatments provides better pain relief for patients with thoracic and lumbar spine tumors. This study is for adults who have cancer that has spread to the thoracic or lumbar spine and who report moderate to severe back pain (a pain score of 5 or higher on a 0-10 pain scale).
- Conditions
- Thoracic Neoplasms, Lumbar Neoplasm
- Being tested
- kyphoplasty with Osteocool
- Keywords
- pain, Radiofrequency Ablation, Local Radiofrequency Ablation, Radiofrequency, Ablation, External Beam Radiation, kyphoplasty, Osteocool
- Medical subject headings
- Thoracic Neoplasms, Neoplasms, Pain
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
kyphoplasty with OsteocoolProcedure or surgery
Also called kyphoplasty
Participants will receive kyphoplasty with Osteocool prior to their Standard of Care External Beam Radiotherapy.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Metastatic thoracic or lumbar spine tumor | metastatic thoracic or lumbar spine tumor and reported back pain of ≥ 5 on a visual analog scale (VAS) assessments scale. Receives: Procedure: kyphoplasty with Osteocool |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in pain intensity
Change in pain intensity will be measured using visual analog scale (VAS) assessments, from baseline (pre-therapy) to 1 month post completion of radiotherapy.
Measured: Baseline and at 3 months (1 months after completion of radiotherapy)
Secondary outcomes (8)
Presence of thoracic and lumbar spine tumors
Presence of thoracic and lumbar spine residual tumors will be determined by independent radiology report (clinical assessment by a non-investigator) based on any standard of care imaging exam per treating physician's discretion.
Measured: at 3- and 6-months following procedure
Long term new or worsened vertebral body compression fracture
Long term new or worsened vertebral body compression fracture of thoracic and lumbar spine tumor subjects treated with kyphoplasty with osteocool ablation plus radiation therapy at the treated level will be determined by independent radiology report (clinical assessment by a non-investigator) based on any standard of care imaging exam per treating physician's discretion.
Measured: at 6 months following procedure
Retreatment of thoracic and lumbar spine tumor
Retreatment of thoracic and lumbar spine tumor subjects treated with kyphoplasty with Osteocool ablation plus radiation therapy is defined as treatment at the same vertebral body level with kypho- radiation therapy for disease progression within 6-months of protocol intervention collected via medical record abstraction as compared to historical control.
Measured: at 6 months following procedure
Quality of life per Patient-Reported Outcomes version of the Common Terminology Criteria
Quality of life in patients with thoracic and lumbar spine tumors treated with kyphoplasty with Osteocool ablation plus radiation therapy will be evaluated using the Patient-Reported Outcomes version of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (PRO-CTCAE) measurements prior to therapy and at completion of therapy and 6 months after procedure. PRO-CTCAE is a questionnaire that lets patients report symptoms they experience during treatment, such as pain, fatigue, nausea, or skin changes. It measures how often symptoms occur, how severe they are, and how much they interfere with daily activities. Each symptom is scored from 0 to 4 (or 0/1 for absent or present). There is currently no standard method for combining scores into a single overall score.
Measured: Baseline and at 6 months following procedure
Pain level
Quality of life in patients with thoracic and lumbar spine tumors treated with kyphoplasty with Osteocool ablation plus radiation will be evaluated by the Brief Pain Inventory prior to therapy and at completion of therapy and 6 months following intervention. The Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), developed by MD Anderson Cancer Center, is a patient-reported questionnaire used to measure pain severity and how pain interferes with daily activities. Patients rate their pain on a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 means "no pain" and 10 means "worst pain imaginable." They also rate how much pain interferes with activities such as walking, work, mood, and sleep on a 0 to 10 scale, where 0 means "does not interfere" and 10 means "completely interferes." It is widely used in cancer patients to assess pain and its impact on quality of life.
Measured: Baseline and at 6 months following procedure
Readmission rate
Quality of life in patients with thoracic and lumbar spine tumors treated with kyphoplasty with Osteocool ablation plus radiation will be evaluated by readmission rate for spine-related pain for the 6 months following the procedure via medical record abstract and self-reported care.
Measured: Up to 6 months following procedure
Narcotic pain medication
Narcotic pain medication in patients with thoracic and lumbar spine tumors treated with kyphoplasty with Osteocool ablation plus radiation will be evaluated by self-reported use prior to therapy and for days 1 and 7 post-kyphoplasty and Osteocool ablation and at completion of therapy and 6 months following intervention.
Measured: Up to 6 months following procedure
Grade 2 or higher Adverse Events
Safety of kyphoplasty with Osteocool ablation plus radiotherapy will be defined as the frequency and nature of Grade 2+ adverse events post therapy according to The National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI-CTCAE ). NCI-CTCAE is a descriptive terminology which can be utilized for Adverse Event (AE) reporting. Grade 1 Mild; asymptomatic or mild symptoms; clinical or diagnostic observations only; intervention not indicated. Grade 2 Moderate; minimal, local or noninvasive intervention indicated; limiting age-appropriate instrumental Activities of Daily Living (ADL). Grade 3 Severe or medically significant but not immediately life-threatening; hospitalization or prolongation of hospitalization indicated; disabling; limiting self-care ADL. Grade 4 Life-threatening consequences; urgent intervention indicated. Grade 5 Death related to AE. AE will compared against historical controls receiving gold standard radiation therapy alone.
Measured: Up to 1 month
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted18 Mar 2026
- Study start16 Mar 2026
- Primary completion1 Mar 2031 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Mar 2031 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Thoracic NeoplasmsStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer CenterThe 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
- 70 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Medtronic
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Nicole A Keefe, Principal investigator, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07479199
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- LCCC2336
- Status last verified
- Apr 2026
- First submitted
- 12 Mar 2026
- Last updated
- 23 Apr 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- Yes
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: Deidentified individual participant data will be available beginning 1 year after publication. Access will be granted to researchers with a methodologically sound proposal. Requests should be submitted to the corresponding investigator and may require a data use agreement.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 23 Apr 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Local Radiofrequency Ablation Plus External Beam Radiation for the Treatment of Painful Thoracic and Lumbar Spine Tumors -SPARC
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07479199
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- LCCC2336
- Conditions
- Thoracic Neoplasms, Lumbar Neoplasm
- Keywords
- pain, Radiofrequency Ablation, Local Radiofrequency Ablation, Radiofrequency, Ablation, External Beam Radiation, kyphoplasty, Osteocool
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 70 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Medtronic
- Study start
- 16 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Mar 2031 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Mar 2031 (estimated)
- First posted
- 18 Mar 2026 (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.
This study looks at how well a combination of treatments helps reduce pain in people with tumors in the middle and lower back (thoracic and lumbar spine). All participants receive the same treatment, which includes a procedure to stabilize the spine (kyphoplasty), radiofrequency ablation will be with the Osteocool system and radiation therapy. The goal is to see how effective this combined approach is at relieving pain.
The purpose of this study is to find out whether combining these three treatments provides better pain relief for patients with thoracic and lumbar spine tumors. This study is for adults who have cancer that has spread to the thoracic or lumbar spine and who report moderate to severe back pain (a pain score of 5 or higher on a 0-10 pain scale).
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Metastatic thoracic or lumbar spine tumor | – | Procedure: kyphoplasty with Osteocoolmetastatic thoracic or lumbar spine tumor and reported back pain of ≥ 5 on a visual analog scale (VAS) assessments scale. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- Patient with metastatic thoracic and lumbar spine tumors treated at UNC Chapel Hill
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Written informed consent obtained to participate in the study and HIPAA authorization for release of personal health information.
- Subjects is willing and able to comply with study procedures based on the judgement of the investigator.
- Age ≥ 18 years at the time of consent.
- Life expectancy beyond completion of protocol intervention of at least 1 month and deemed appropriate for treatment based on multidisciplinary review and/or investigator discretion.
- Metastatic thoracic or lumbar spine tumor. Tumor should be lytic or mixed lytic/blastic. Note: there does not need to be a fracture.
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Active infection requiring systemic therapy.
- Pregnant or breastfeeding (NOTE: breast milk cannot be stored for future use while the mother is being treated on study).
- Is currently taking Avastin or anti-coagulant meds that cannot be held.
- Is currently enrolled in a cancer related clinical trial.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| kyphoplasty with OsteocoolAlso: kyphoplastyParticipants will receive kyphoplasty with Osteocool prior to their Standard of Care External Beam Radiotherapy. | Procedure or surgery | Metastatic thoracic or lumbar spine tumor |
Primary outcome
Change in pain intensity
Time frame: Baseline and at 3 months (1 months after completion of radiotherapy)
Change in pain intensity will be measured using visual analog scale (VAS) assessments, from baseline (pre-therapy) to 1 month post completion of radiotherapy.
8 secondary outcomes
Presence of thoracic and lumbar spine tumors
Time frame: at 3- and 6-months following procedure
Long term new or worsened vertebral body compression fracture
Time frame: at 6 months following procedure
Retreatment of thoracic and lumbar spine tumor
Time frame: at 6 months following procedure
Quality of life per Patient-Reported Outcomes version of the Common Terminology Criteria
Time frame: Baseline and at 6 months following procedure
Pain level
Time frame: Baseline and at 6 months following procedure
Readmission rate
Time frame: Up to 6 months following procedure
Narcotic pain medication
Time frame: Up to 6 months following procedure
Grade 2 or higher Adverse Events
Time frame: Up to 1 month
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 23 Apr 2026.
- University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center Clinical TrialsLink provided by the sponsor.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. Deidentified individual participant data will be available beginning 1 year after publication. Access will be granted to researchers with a methodologically sound proposal. Requests should be submitted to the corresponding investigator and may require a data use agreement.
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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.
Desma Jones contact
Nicole A Keefe principal investigator
UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
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 Thoracic Neoplasms and Lumbar Neoplasm, run by UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center 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 4 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 23 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 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?
Contact Markeela Lipscomb (919-984-0000, markeela_lipscomb@med.unc.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in pain intensity (time frame: Baseline and at 3 months (1 months after completion of radiotherapy)). 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 23 Apr 2026.