Radiofrequency Ablation in Treating Patients With Unresectable Primary or Metastatic Liver Cancer

Unspecified Adult Solid Tumor, Protocol Specific Clinical Trial

Official title: The Use of Radiofrequency Ablation to Treat Hepatic Neoplasms

Status Terminated

Clinical Trial Summary

RATIONALE: Radiofrequency ablation is a procedure that heats tumors to several degrees above body temperature and may kill tumor cells.

PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of radiofrequency ablation in treating patients who have unresectable primary or metastatic liver cancer.

Clinical Trial Description

OBJECTIVES:

• Evaluate the nature and duration of response of patients with primary or metastatic liver neoplasms, who are not candidates for surgical resection, treated with radiofrequency interstitial tissue ablation.

• Evaluate the ability of dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess the effects of this therapy on tumor blood flow and tumor vascular density in these patients.

• Determine the ability of positron emission tomography with fludeoxyglucose F 18 (FDG-PET) to monitor response after treatment with this therapy in these patients.

• Compare FDG-PET results with computed tomography (CT) scan, biopsy, and serum marker results in patients treated with this therapy.

• Compare the performance of FDG-PET with CT scan and MRI, in terms of their ability to assess the efficacy of this therapy in these patients.

OUTLINE: Lesions are targeted by ultrasound and then radiofrequency ablation needles are inserted into the lesions and heated to a target temperature greater than 60 degrees C for 15 minutes, though exposure time may vary depending on temperatures achieved. To achieve a 1 cm margin of ablated tissue around each lesion, multiple ablation courses may be performed, depending on the size of the lesions and the time required to complete the treatment.

Patients undergo magnetic resonance imaging with gadopentetate dimeglumine contrast, CT scan, ultrasound, and positron emission tomography with fludeoxyglucose F 18 at baseline, 6 weeks, every 3 months for 1 year, and then every 6 months for 2 years.

Patients are followed at 6 weeks, every 3 months for 1 year, and then every 6 months for 2 years or until evidence of recurrence.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 58 patients will be accrued for this study within 6 years. ;

Study Design

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

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Liver Cancer
• Liver Neoplasms
• Metastatic Cancer
• Neoplasm Metastasis
• Unspecified Adult Solid Tumor, Protocol Specific

• NCT number: NCT00019604
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)
• Status: Terminated
• Phase: Phase 2
• Start date: August 1998
• Completion date: January 2009