Purpose

This phase III trial compares proton craniospinal irradiation (pCSI) to involved-field radiation therapy (IFRT) for the treatment of breast or non-small cell lung cancer that has spread from where it first started to the cerebrospinal fluid filled space that surrounds the brain and spinal cord (leptomeningeal metastasis). Patients with leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) may develop multiple areas of nervous system (neurologic) impairment that can be life-threatening. Radiation therapy (RT) effectively relieves local symptoms due to LM. RT uses high energy radiography (x-rays), particles, or radioactive seeds to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. IFRT is commonly used to treat symptoms of LM. IFRT is radiation treatment that uses x-rays to treat specific areas of LM and to relieve and/or prevent symptoms. pCSI uses protons that can be directed with more accuracy than x-rays which allows treatment of the entire central nervous system space containing the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), brain, and spinal cord. The pCSI treatment could delay the worsening of LM. Giving pCSI may be better than IFRT in treating LM in patients with breast or non-small cell lung cancer.

Conditions

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Over 18 Years
Eligible Genders
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

- PRIOR TO STEP 1 REGISTRATION

- Patients with pathologically (histologically or cytologically) proven diagnosis of
breast cancer or NSCLC. Patients must have systemic disease evaluation through
standard of care imaging for example CT chest/abdomen/pelvis or body PET/CT

- Patients must have newly diagnosed leptomeningeal metastasis established through at
least one of the following:

- Positive CSF cytology for malignancy

- CSF cytology with suspicious cells is considered positive; CSF cytology
with atypical cells is considered equivocal and not positive

- Patients with an equivocal CSF cytology result, or not suitable for CSF
sampling, radiographic diagnosis of leptomeningeal metastasis with linear
and/or nodular disease and documentation of typical clinical signs (European
Association of Neuro-Oncology [EANO]-European Society for Medical Oncology
[ESMO] Diagnostic Criteria Type IIA-IIC) is required

- Patients with typical clinical signs of leptomeningeal metastasis may have
one or more of the following symptoms and signs: headache, nausea,
vomiting, mental status change, gait difficulty, cranial nerve palsy,
diplopia, visual change, hearing loss, radicular weakness, radicular
sensory change, urinary retention, saddle anesthesia, constipation, neck
pain, and back pain

- For patients with prior history of immunotherapy or current immunotherapy, CSF
sampling rather than just MRI enhancement is strongly recommended to exclude
immune-related aseptic meningitis

- Patients who are candidates for radiation therapy for the treatment of
leptomeningeal metastasis

- Age ≥ 18

- PRIOR TO STEP 2 REGISTRATION

- Note: Step 2 registration must occur no later than 30 calendar days after step 1
registration

- Financial clearance for proton therapy treatment

- Karnofsky performance status ≥ 60

- Not pregnant and not nursing

- Negative urine or serum pregnancy test (in persons of childbearing potential)
within 14 days prior to registration. Childbearing potential is defined as any
person who has experienced menarche and who has not undergone surgical
sterilization (hysterectomy or bilateral oophorectomy) or who is not
postmenopausal

- Hemoglobin ≥ 8.0 g/dl (Note: The use of transfusion or other intervention to achieve
hemoglobin [Hgb] ≥ 8.0 g/dl is acceptable)

- Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1,000/mm^3 (Note: the use of granulocyte-colony
stimulating factor or other intervention to achieve ANC ≥ 1,000/mm^3 is acceptable)

- Platelets ≥ 100,000/mm^3 (Note: the use of transfusion or other intervention to
achieve platelets ≥ 100,000/mm^3 is acceptable)

- Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 × institutional upper limit of normal (ULN) (patients with
known Gilbert disease without other clinically significant liver abnormalities are
not excluded)

- Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase [SGOT])
and alanine transaminase (ALT) (serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase [SGPT]) ≤ 3 ×
ULN

- No prior radiation therapy to the spinal cord with equivalent dose in 2 gray (Gy)
fractions (EQD2) more than 40Gy or cauda equina with EQD2 more than 50Gy using
alpha/beta ratio of 3

- No prior treatment for leptomeningeal metastasis (note: prior CNS treatment for
other non-leptomeningeal disease is allowed)

- No history of unstable angina requiring hospitalization in the last 3 months

- No history of myocardial infarction within the last 3 months

- New York Heart Association Functional Classification II or better (New York Heart
Association [NYHA] Functional Classification III/IV are not eligible) (Note:
Patients with known history or current symptoms of cardiac disease, or history of
treatment with cardiotoxic agents, should have a clinical risk assessment of cardiac
function using the New York Heart Association Functional Classification.)

- No active infection currently requiring intravenous (IV) antibiotic management

- No active chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation or other acute
respiratory illness precluding study therapy

- No CTCAE v5.0 ≥ grade 2 encephalopathy

Study Design

Phase
Phase 3
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention Model
Parallel Assignment
Primary Purpose
Treatment
Masking
None (Open Label)

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Active Comparator
Arm 1 (IFRT)
Patients undergo involved-field radiation therapy delivered to specific areas of LM that are causing and/or may cause symptoms 5 days a week for a total of 10 days of treatment in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients undergo CT or PET/CT during screening and MRI as well as LP throughout the study. Patients may optionally undergo research blood sample and CSF collection throughout the study.
  • Procedure: Biospecimen Collection
    Undergo blood and CSF sample collection
    Other names:
    • Biological Sample Collection
    • Biospecimen Collected
    • Specimen Collection
  • Procedure: Computed Tomography
    Undergo CT or PET/CT
    Other names:
    • CAT
    • CAT Scan
    • Computed Axial Tomography
    • Computerized Axial Tomography
    • Computerized axial tomography (procedure)
    • Computerized Tomography
    • Computerized Tomography (CT) scan
    • CT
    • CT Scan
    • tomography
  • Radiation: Involved-Field Radiation Therapy
    Undergo IFRT
    Other names:
    • IFRT
    • Involved field radiotherapy
  • Procedure: Lumbar Puncture
    Undergo LP
    Other names:
    • LP
    • Spinal Tap
  • Procedure: Magnetic Resonance Imaging
    Undergo MRI
    Other names:
    • Magnetic Resonance
    • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
    • Magnetic resonance imaging (procedure)
    • Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scan
    • Medical Imaging, Magnetic Resonance / Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
    • MR
    • MR Imaging
    • MRI
    • MRI Scan
    • MRIs
    • NMR Imaging
    • NMRI
    • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging
    • sMRI
    • Structural MRI
  • Procedure: Positron Emission Tomography
    Undergo PET/CT
    Other names:
    • Medical Imaging, Positron Emission Tomography
    • PET
    • PET Scan
    • Positron emission tomography (procedure)
    • Positron Emission Tomography Scan
    • Positron-Emission Tomography
    • proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging
    • PT
  • Other: Quality-of-Life Assessment
    Ancillary studies
    Other names:
    • Quality of Life Assessment
Experimental
Arm 2 (pCSI)
Patients undergo pCSI radiation therapy delivered to the entire space containing the CSF, brain, and spinal cord 5 days a week for a total of 10 days of treatment in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients undergo CT or PET/CT during screening and MRI as well as possible LP throughout the study. Patients may optionally undergo research blood sample and CSF collection throughout the study.
  • Procedure: Biospecimen Collection
    Undergo blood and CSF sample collection
    Other names:
    • Biological Sample Collection
    • Biospecimen Collected
    • Specimen Collection
  • Procedure: Computed Tomography
    Undergo CT or PET/CT
    Other names:
    • CAT
    • CAT Scan
    • Computed Axial Tomography
    • Computerized Axial Tomography
    • Computerized axial tomography (procedure)
    • Computerized Tomography
    • Computerized Tomography (CT) scan
    • CT
    • CT Scan
    • tomography
  • Procedure: Lumbar Puncture
    Undergo LP
    Other names:
    • LP
    • Spinal Tap
  • Procedure: Magnetic Resonance Imaging
    Undergo MRI
    Other names:
    • Magnetic Resonance
    • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
    • Magnetic resonance imaging (procedure)
    • Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scan
    • Medical Imaging, Magnetic Resonance / Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
    • MR
    • MR Imaging
    • MRI
    • MRI Scan
    • MRIs
    • NMR Imaging
    • NMRI
    • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging
    • sMRI
    • Structural MRI
  • Procedure: Positron Emission Tomography
    Undergo PET/CT
    Other names:
    • Medical Imaging, Positron Emission Tomography
    • PET
    • PET Scan
    • Positron emission tomography (procedure)
    • Positron Emission Tomography Scan
    • Positron-Emission Tomography
    • proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging
    • PT
  • Radiation: Proton Beam Craniospinal Irradiation
    Undergo pCSI
    Other names:
    • Craniospinal Proton Beam Radiation Therapy
    • p-CSI
    • Proton Craniospinal Irradiation
    • Proton Craniospinal Radiation Therapy
  • Other: Quality-of-Life Assessment
    Ancillary studies
    Other names:
    • Quality of Life Assessment

Recruiting Locations

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Little Rock, Arkansas 72205
Contact:
Site Public Contact
501-686-8274

UC San Diego Health System - Encinitas
Encinitas, California 92024
Contact:
Site Public Contact
760-536-7700

UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center
La Jolla, California 92093
Contact:
Site Public Contact
858-822-5354
cancercto@ucsd.edu

UC San Diego Medical Center - Hillcrest
San Diego, California 92103
Contact:
Site Public Contact
rhabbaba@health.ucsd.edu

Mercy Hospital South
Saint Louis, Missouri 63128
Contact:
Site Public Contact
314-525-6042
Danielle.Werle@mercy.net

Montefiore Medical Center-Einstein Campus
Bronx, New York 10461
Contact:
Site Public Contact
718-379-6866
eskwak@montefiore.org

Montefiore Medical Center - Moses Campus
Bronx, New York 10467
Contact:
Site Public Contact
718-379-6866
eskwak@montefiore.org

Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone
New York, New York 10016
Contact:
Site Public Contact
CancerTrials@nyulangone.org

More Details

NCT ID
NCT06500481
Status
Recruiting
Sponsor
NRG Oncology

Study Contact

Jonathan Yang
(212) 731-6033
jonathan.yang@nyulangone.org

Detailed Description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: I. To compare overall survival (OS) between proton craniospinal irradiation (pCSI) and involved-field radiotherapy (IFRT) in patients with breast cancer or non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) leptomeningeal metastasis. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To compare central nervous system progression-free survival (CNS PFS) between pCSI and IFRT in patients with breast cancer or NSCLC leptomeningeal metastasis. II. To compare time to CNS progression between pCSI and IFRT in patients with breast cancer or NSCLC leptomeningeal metastasis. III. To compare CNS PFS between pCSI and IFRT in patients with breast cancer or NSCLC leptomeningeal metastasis, as evaluated by central review of imaging. IV. To compare the rate of radiation-induced central nervous system necrosis between pCSI versus (vs.) IFRT in patients with breast cancer or NSCLC leptomeningeal metastasis. V. To characterize treatment-related adverse events using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version (v) 5.0. VI. To compare patient-reported outcomes (symptoms severity subscale per MD Anderson Symptom Inventory for Brain Tumors [MDASI-BT] and MD Anderson Symptom Inventory for Spine Tumors [MDASI-SP]) in patients with breast cancer or non-small cell lung cancer leptomeningeal metastasis. EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVE: I. To compare patient-reported outcomes (symptoms interference, brain tumor-specific, spine tumor-specific subscales per MDASI-BT and MDASI-SP) in patients with breast cancer or non-small cell lung cancer leptomeningeal metastasis. OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms. ARM 1: Patients undergo involved-field radiation therapy delivered to specific areas of LM that are causing and/or may cause symptoms 5 days a week for a total of 10 days of treatment in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients undergo computed tomography (CT) or positron emission tomography (PET)/CT during screening and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as well as possible lumbar puncture (LP) throughout the study. Patients may optionally undergo research blood sample and CSF collection throughout the study. ARM 2: Patients undergo pCSI radiation therapy delivered to the entire space containing the CSF, brain, and spinal cord 5 days a week for a total of 10 days of treatment in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients undergo CT or PET/CT during screening and MRI as well as possible LP throughout the study. Patients may optionally undergo research blood sample and CSF collection throughout the study. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed every 3 months for 12 months, and then every 6 months for up to 3 years from end of RT.

Notice

Study information shown on this site is derived from ClinicalTrials.gov (a public registry operated by the National Institutes of Health). The listing of studies provided is not certain to be all studies for which you might be eligible. Furthermore, study eligibility requirements can be difficult to understand and may change over time, so it is wise to speak with your medical care provider and individual research study teams when making decisions related to participation.