Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) as Treatment of Glioblastoma

Glioblastoma Clinical Trial

Official title:

Boron Neutron Capture Therapy in the Treatment of Glioblastoma Multiforme

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Terminated

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT00115453
• Other study ID #: BNCT-P01
• Status: Terminated
• Phase: Phase 1/Phase 2
• First received: June 22, 2005
• Last updated: August 14, 2008
• Start date: May 1999
• Est. completion date: August 2008

Study information

• Verified date: August 2008
• Source: Boneca Corporation
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: Finland: Finnish Medicines Agency
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is an experimental radiation therapy technique that is based on the principle of irradiating boron atoms with neutrons. When neutrons have relatively low energy, boron atoms that have been targeted to cancerous tissue using a suitable boron carrier (an amino acid derivative called BPA, boronophenylalanine) will capture the neutrons. As a result from the neutron capture the boron atoms will split into two, producing helium and lithium ions. The helium and lithium ions, in turn, have only a short pathlength in tissue (about 5 micrometers) and will deposit their cell damaging effect mainly within the tumor provided that the boron carrier (BPA) has accumulated in the tumor. In practice, the study participants will receive BPA as an approximately 2-hour intravenous infusion, following which the tumor is irradiated with low energy (epithermal) neutrons obtained from a nuclear reactor at the BNCT facility. BNCT requires careful radiation dose planning, but neutron irradiation will last approximately only for one hour. In this study BNCT is given only once. The study hypothesis is that glioblastoma tissue may accumulate the boron carrier compound, and glioblastoma might respond to BNCT.

Description:

This is a single BNCT-facility, non-randomized, non-comparative, prospective, open-label, phase I/II trial to determine the value of BNCT in the treatment of subjects who have undergone surgery for glioblastoma, but glioblastoma has not been treated with radiation therapy or chemotherapy. The neutron irradiation site is the FiR 1 reactor site, located at Otaniemi, Espoo, Finland, about 6 kilometers from the Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, where patient evaluation and post-irradiation care will take place.

BPA is infused as a fructose complex (BPA-F) into a peripheral vein over 2 hours prior to neutron irradiation. Blood samples will be taken before starting the BPA infusion, and thereafter at 20 to 40 minute intervals during the infusion, following infusion, and after delivering neutron irradiation to monitor the blood boron concentration. The blood samples will be analyzed for boron to estimate the average blood boron level during neutron irradiation. The first 12 patients are treated using a BPA dose of 290 mg/kg, following which the dose of BPA is increased stepwise to 500 mg/kg, provided that unacceptable toxicity will not occur.

All patients will be evaluated for response using CT or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Terminated
• Enrollment: 50
• Est. completion date: August 2008
• Est. primary completion date: August 2008
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: Both
• Age group: 18 Years to 75 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Histologically confirmed glioblastoma multiforme

• Supratentorial location

• At least 30% of the tumor volume has been removed at craniotomy as judged from a pre/perioperative MRI

• Ability to understand the concept of investigational therapy

• Tolerates dexamethasone treatment

• Adequate anti-epileptic medication

• BNCT can be delivered within 6 weeks from the date of brain surgery

• A written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Age less than 18 or greater than 75

• The tumor infiltrates into the optic chiasm or into the deep parts of the brain prohibiting delivery of an adequate radiation dose with BNCT

• Prior radiation therapy to the brain

• Prior chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or gene therapy

• Karnofsky performance score <70

• Severe cardiac, liver, or kidney failure

• Severe infection

• A cardiac pace-maker, or a metal implant in the head and neck region that will prohibit MRI examination

• Pregnancy or lactation

• Phenylketonuria

Study Design

Allocation: Non-Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Safety/Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Glioblastoma

Intervention

Radiation:
• irradiation
Boronophenylalanine is infused into a peripheral vein prior to neutron irradiation.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Finland	Department of Oncology, Helsinki University Central Hospital	Helsinki

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Boneca Corporation

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Finland, 

References & Publications (2)

Joensuu H, Kankaanranta L, Seppälä T, Auterinen I, Kallio M, Kulvik M, Laakso J, Vähätalo J, Kortesniemi M, Kotiluoto P, Serén T, Karila J, Brander A, Järviluoma E, Ryynänen P, Paetau A, Ruokonen I, Minn H, Tenhunen M, Jääskeläinen J, Färkkilä M, Savolain — View Citation

Kouri M, Kankaanranta L, Seppälä T, Tervo L, Rasilainen M, Minn H, Eskola O, Vähätalo J, Paetau A, Savolainen S, Auterinen I, Jääskeläinen J, Joensuu H. Undifferentiated sinonasal carcinoma may respond to single-fraction boron neutron capture therapy. Radiother Oncol. 2004 Jul;72(1):83-5. — View Citation

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	safety		3 years	Yes
Secondary	tumor response		one year	No
Secondary	effect on brain tissue		3 years	No