Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a promising new ablation technique to fight pancreatic cancer. The primary aim of the CROSSFIRE trial is to compare the efficacy (in terms of overall survival) of FOLFIRINOX and IRE (experimental arm) to the efficacy of FOLFIRINOX and stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) (control arm) in patients with locally advanced, non-resectable, non-metastasized, pancreatic cancer (LAPC). Secondary outcomes are progression free survival, safety/toxicity, immunomodulation, tumor marker Cancer Antigen (CA) 19.9, quality of life (QoL), and total direct and indirect costs for each treatment arm (cost-effectiveness analysis).
Pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers; 94% of pancreatic cancer patients will die within five years of diagnosis, 74% within the first year of diagnosis; only 6% will survive for more than five years. Surgical resection is the only curative option. However, about 40% present with non-metastatic locally advanced pancreatic carcinoma (LAPC; AJCC stage III). These patients are not eligible for surgical resection because the tumor involves major blood vessels such as the superior mesenteric artery, celiac axis, common hepatic artery and/or portal vein. These patients are currently treated with palliative chemotherapy as first line therapy. Focal therapy using external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) may further improve survival, but outcome remains poor. Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) is a form of EBRT that has important advantages over conventional radiotherapy such as a more precise and greater biological dose delivery and hence less toxicity and presumably better outcome. For patients diagnosed with LAPC, a combination of chemotherapy plus local tumor destruction using irreversible electroporation (IRE), a novel tumor ablation technique, has recently shown great promise. IRE is based on permeabilization of the cell membrane through electrical pulses leading to apoptosis. Theoretically, IRE only affects viable tumor tissue, leaving surrounding vital structures relatively intact. It is therefore considered to cause less morbidity than thermal ablative strategies. The CROSSFIRE-trial is a prospective, randomized controlled phase-II/III trial.The primary aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of chemotherapy and IRE (experimental arm) to the efficacy of chemotherapy and radiation (control arm) in patients with locally advanced, non-resectable, non-metastasized, pancreatic cancer. In total, 138 patients with histologically proven locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma (AJCC stage III), aged ≥ 18 years will be included. Patients with a specific cardiac history (arrhythmias, pacemaker), pre-existent ECG-abnormalities and/or non-retrievable metallic self-expanding biliary stents are excluded from participation. Patients will be randomly allocated to receive either chemotherapy and radiation (control arm) or chemotherapy and IRE (experimental arm).
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
74
IRE is based on permeabilization of the cell membrane through electrical pulses leading to apoptosis. Theoretically, IRE only affects viable tumor tissue, leaving surrounding vital structures relatively intact. It is therefore considered to cause less morbidity than thermal ablative strategies.
Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) is a form of external beam radiation that has important advantages over conventional radiotherapy such as a more precise and greater biological dose delivery and hence less toxicity and presumably better outcome.
Bart Geboers
Amsterdam, Non-US/Non-Canadian, Netherlands
Overall survival
Time frame: From date of randomization until the date of date of death from any cause, assessed up to 100 months
Progression free survival
Time frame: From date of randomization until the date of first documented progression or date of death from any cause, whichever came first, assessed up to 100 months
Untreatable progression-free survival (uPFS)
Time frame: From date of randomization until the date of first documented progression or date of death from any cause, whichever came first, assessed up to 100 months
Number of participants with treatment-related adverse events as assessed by CTCAE v4.0
Time frame: Incidence of Treatment-Emergent Adverse Events [Safety and Tolerability] within 90 days after the procedure (IRE/SABR)
Pain assessment
Pain assessment by using a scale.
Time frame: From date of randomization until the date of first documented progression or date of death from any cause, whichever came first, assessed up to 100 months by using the a scale
Cost-effectiveness analysis
Direct and indirect total cost of care for both treatment arms (cost-effectiveness analysis);
Time frame: From date of randomization until the date of first documented progression or date of death from any cause, whichever came first, assessed up to 100 months
Quality of life of patients treated with IRE/SABR
Assessing quality of life by using questionnaires.
Time frame: From date of randomization until the date of date of death from any cause, whichever came first, assessed up to 100 months by using questionnaires
Change in immune status and reactivity after the procedure (IRE/SABR) by assessing the level of immune cells pre- and post-IRE
Measurement of circulating immune cells pre- and post-IRE
Time frame: Up to 3 months post-procedure
Tumor marker CA 19.9
Time frame: From date of randomization until the date of first documented progression or date of death from any cause, whichever came first, assessed up to 100 months
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