Principal Investigator
Enrollment Status
Clinical Trial ID
Clinical Trial Summary
Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a commonly used treatment for brain tumors. It is a
one-day (or in some cases two day), out-patient procedure during which a high dose of
radiation is delivered to small spots in the brain while excluding the surrounding normal
brain.
Whole brain radiation therapy with hippocampal avoidance (HA-WBRT) is when radiation therapy
is given to the whole brain, while trying to decrease the amount of radiation that is
delivered to the area of the hippocampus. The hippocampus is a brain structure that is
important for memory. Memantine is a drug that is given to help relieve symptoms that can be
caused by WBRT, including problems with memory and other mental symptoms.
Health Canada, the regulatory body that oversees the use of drugs in Canada, has not approved
the sale or use of memantine in combination with WBRT to treat this kind of cancer, although
they have allowed its use in this study.
Phase
Phase 3
Funding Agency/Sponsor
National Cooperative Group
Disease
Neurological Cancer
Enrollment Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Patients must have 5 or more brain metastases as counted on a T1 contrast enhanced MRI
obtained ≤ 30 days from randomization (maximum 15 brain metastases).
- Patients must have a pathological diagnosis (cytological or histological) of a
non-hematopoietic malignancy.
- The largest brain metastasis must measure <2.5 cm in maximal diameter.
- Centre must have the ability to treat patients with either a Gamma Knife, Cyberknife,
or a linear accelerator-based radiosurgery system.
- Patient must be > 18 years of age.
- Patient is able (i.e. sufficiently fluent) and willing to complete the quality of life
questionnaires in either English or French either alone or with assistance.
- ECOG performance status 0, 1, or 2.
- Creatinine clearance must be ≥ 30 ml/min within 28 days prior to registration.
- The Neurocognitive Testing examiner must have credentialing confirming completion of
the neurocognitive testing training.
- Facility is credentialed by IROC to perform SRS and HA-WBRT. The treating centre must
have completed stereotactic radiosurgery credentialing of the specific system(s) to be
used in study patients. The treating centre must have completed IMRT credintialing of
this specific IMRT systems to be used in study patients for the purposes of HA-WBRT.
- Patient consent must be appropriately obtained in accordance with applicable local and
regulatory requirements. Each patient must sign a consent form prior to enrolment in
the trial to document their willingness to participate.
- A similar process must be followed for sites outside of Canada as per their respective
cooperative group's procedures.
- Patients must be accessible for treatment and follow-up. Investigators must assure
themselves the patients randomized on this trial will be available for complete
documentation of the treatment, adverse events, and follow-up.
- In accordance with CCTG policy, protocol treatment is to begin within 14 days of
patient enrolment.
- Women/men of childbearing potential must have agreed to use a highly effective
contraceptive method.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Pregnant or nursing women.
- Men or women of childbearing potential who are unwilling to employ adequate
contraception.
- Inability to complete a brain MRI.
- Known allergy to gadolinium.
- Prior cranial radiation therapy.
- Planned cytotoxic chemotherapy within 48 hours prior or after the SRS or HA-WBRT.
- Primary germ cell tumour, small cell carcinoma, or lymphoma.
- Widespread definitive leptomeningeal metastasis. This includes cranial nerve palsy,
leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, ependymal involvement, cranial nerve involvement on
imaging, suspicious linear meningeal enhancement, or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
positive for tumour cells.
- A brain metastasis that is located ≤ 5 mm of the optic chiasm or either optic nerve.
- Surgical resection of a brain metastasis (stereotactic biopsies will be allowed).
- More than 15 brain metastases on a volumetric T1 contrast MRI (voxels of 1mm or
smaller) performed within the past 14 days, or more than 10 metastases in the case of
a non-volumetric MRI.
- Prior allergic reaction to memantine.
- Current alcohol or drug abuse.
- Current use of NMDA antagonists, such as amantadine, ketamine, or dextromethorphan.
- Diagnosis of chronic liver disease/cirrhosis of the liver (e.g. Child-Pugh class B or
C).
- Patients with architectural distortion of lateral ventricular systems, which, in the
opinion of the local investigator, makes hippocampal delineation challenging