NCT05433701

Brief Summary

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality and the sixth most prevalent cancer in the world. Standard treatments for early-stage HCCs include resection, liver transplantation, and percutaneous ablation, with 5-year survival rates of over 50 percent. Less than one-third of patients, however, are candidates for hepatic resection, and the use of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) may be significantly limited in cases with unfavorable tumor location and poor visibility on images, which increase the risk of technical failures and complications after RFA. Recent advancements in radiotherapy and imaging have made it possible to deliver optimal radiation doses on the tumor site while minimizing exposure to normal organs. Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is a method of high-precision radiation therapy that concentrates high-dose radiation to HCC in a short period of time to maximize the therapeutic effect on the tumor and minimize the side effects on normal tissues. Prospective and retrospective studies on SBRT for HCC have demonstrated its efficacy for local tumor control in small HCC. On the basis of these promising clinical results, a number of studies have compared the efficacy of RFA and SBRT. However, there is no strong evidence from randomized controlled trials comparing SBRT and RFA. In order to evaluate and compare the local efficacy and clinical outcomes of SBRT and RFA in patients with recurrent HCC, we conduct this non-inferiority trial.

Trial Health

75
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
178

participants targeted

Target at P50-P75 for not_applicable hepatocellular-carcinoma

Timeline
8mo left

Started Aug 2022

Typical duration for not_applicable hepatocellular-carcinoma

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
active not recruiting

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Progress86%
Aug 2022Dec 2026

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

June 22, 2022

Completed
5 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

June 27, 2022

Completed
2 months until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

August 29, 2022

Completed
4.3 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

December 31, 2026

Expected
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

December 31, 2026

Last Updated

August 18, 2023

Status Verified

August 1, 2023

Enrollment Period

4.3 years

First QC Date

June 22, 2022

Last Update Submit

August 15, 2023

Conditions

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Local progression-free survival rate, per-protocol (PP)

    Local progression-free survival rate, PP

    At year 2

Secondary Outcomes (14)

  • Progression-free survival rate, intention-to-treat (ITT)

    At year 2

  • Overall survival rate, ITT

    At year 2

  • Intrahepatic progression-free survival rate, PP

    At year 2

  • Intrahepatic progression-free survival rate, ITT

    At year 2

  • Progression-free survival rate, PP

    At year 2

  • +9 more secondary outcomes

Study Arms (2)

RFA group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

* RFA are performed under local anesthesia or monitored anesthesia care with either a 15-gause or 17-gause internally cooled electrode, depending on the size of the tumor. * RFA procedures are continued by modifying the output power based on the location and size of the tumor until the entire tumor and border area sizes of greater than 0.5 cm are included in the detected target lesion on ultrasound or CT.

Procedure: Radiofrequency Ablation

SBRT group

EXPERIMENTAL

A total dose of 45 Gy is presecribed using 15 Gy per fraction over 3 consecutive days.

Radiation: Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy

Interventions

* Verify the setup position and respiration of patients as in the simulation CT image. * To precisely align the tumor prior to each treatment, cone-beam CT and gated fluoroscopy using the On-board Imager mounted on the linear accelerator are performed. * The Real-time Position Management system is used to monitor the accuracy of breathing phase during treatment.

SBRT group

\- RFA are performed under local anesthesia or monitored anesthesia care with either a 15-gause or 17-gause internally cooled electrode, depending on the size of the tumor.

RFA group

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years+
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • patient over the age of 18
  • primary or recurrent HCC that is not suitable for surgery
  • HCCs with a longest diameter of ≤3cm and ≤2 lesions
  • no evidence of intrahepatic or extrahepatic residual disease except for target lesions
  • Child-Pugh class A or B hepatic function
  • no macroscopic vascular invasion or extrahepatic metastasis
  • written informed consent

You may not qualify if:

  • Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status score 3 or 4
  • uncontrolled ascites, variceal bleeding, or hepatic encephalopathy
  • previous history of liver transplantation
  • an active gastric or duodenal ulcer within 3 months before screening
  • pregnant woman
  • uncontrolled other malignancies except for HCC within 2 years before screening
  • platelet count \<50,000/µl
  • Patients who are judged by the researcher to be difficult to conduct clinical research

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Asan Medical Center

Seoul, 05505, South Korea

Location

Related Publications (22)

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    PMID: 34801630BACKGROUND
  • Lau WY, Lai EC. Salvage surgery following downstaging of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma--a strategy to increase resectability. Ann Surg Oncol. 2007 Dec;14(12):3301-9. doi: 10.1245/s10434-007-9549-7. Epub 2007 Sep 22.

    PMID: 17891443BACKGROUND
  • Chen MS, Li JQ, Zheng Y, Guo RP, Liang HH, Zhang YQ, Lin XJ, Lau WY. A prospective randomized trial comparing percutaneous local ablative therapy and partial hepatectomy for small hepatocellular carcinoma. Ann Surg. 2006 Mar;243(3):321-8. doi: 10.1097/01.sla.0000201480.65519.b8.

    PMID: 16495695BACKGROUND
  • Feng K, Yan J, Li X, Xia F, Ma K, Wang S, Bie P, Dong J. A randomized controlled trial of radiofrequency ablation and surgical resection in the treatment of small hepatocellular carcinoma. J Hepatol. 2012 Oct;57(4):794-802. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2012.05.007. Epub 2012 May 23.

    PMID: 22634125BACKGROUND
  • Huang J, Yan L, Cheng Z, Wu H, Du L, Wang J, Xu Y, Zeng Y. A randomized trial comparing radiofrequency ablation and surgical resection for HCC conforming to the Milan criteria. Ann Surg. 2010 Dec;252(6):903-12. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0b013e3181efc656.

    PMID: 21107100BACKGROUND
  • Liu PH, Hsu CY, Hsia CY, Lee YH, Huang YH, Chiou YY, Lin HC, Huo TI. Surgical Resection Versus Radiofrequency Ablation for Single Hepatocellular Carcinoma </= 2 cm in a Propensity Score Model. Ann Surg. 2016 Mar;263(3):538-45. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000001178.

    PMID: 25775062BACKGROUND
  • Taguchi H, Sakuhara Y, Hige S, Kitamura K, Osaka Y, Abo D, Uchida D, Sawada A, Kamiyama T, Shimizu T, Shirato H, Miyasaka K. Intercepting radiotherapy using a real-time tumor-tracking radiotherapy system for highly selected patients with hepatocellular carcinoma unresectable with other modalities. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2007 Oct 1;69(2):376-80. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2007.03.042.

    PMID: 17869660BACKGROUND
  • Krishnan S, Dawson LA, Seong J, Akine Y, Beddar S, Briere TM, Crane CH, Mornex F. Radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma: an overview. Ann Surg Oncol. 2008 Apr;15(4):1015-24. doi: 10.1245/s10434-007-9729-5. Epub 2008 Jan 31. No abstract available.

    PMID: 18236114BACKGROUND
  • Tse RV, Guha C, Dawson LA. Conformal radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2008 Aug;67(2):113-23. doi: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2008.01.005. Epub 2008 Mar 4.

    PMID: 18308583BACKGROUND
  • Jeong Y, Jung J, Cho B, Kwak J, Jeong C, Kim JH, Park JH, Kim SY, Shim JH, Kim KM, Lim YS, Lee HC, Yoon SM. Stereotactic body radiation therapy using a respiratory-gated volumetric-modulated arc therapy technique for small hepatocellular carcinoma. BMC Cancer. 2018 Apr 13;18(1):416. doi: 10.1186/s12885-018-4340-7.

    PMID: 29653562BACKGROUND
  • Takeda A, Sanuki N, Tsurugai Y, Iwabuchi S, Matsunaga K, Ebinuma H, Imajo K, Aoki Y, Saito H, Kunieda E. Phase 2 study of stereotactic body radiotherapy and optional transarterial chemoembolization for solitary hepatocellular carcinoma not amenable to resection and radiofrequency ablation. Cancer. 2016 Jul 1;122(13):2041-9. doi: 10.1002/cncr.30008. Epub 2016 Apr 8.

    PMID: 27062278BACKGROUND
  • Su TS, Liang P, Lu HZ, Liang J, Gao YC, Zhou Y, Huang Y, Tang MY, Liang JN. Stereotactic body radiation therapy for small primary or recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma in 132 Chinese patients. J Surg Oncol. 2016 Feb;113(2):181-7. doi: 10.1002/jso.24128. Epub 2015 Dec 14.

    PMID: 26799260BACKGROUND
  • Kimura T, Aikata H, Takahashi S, Takahashi I, Nishibuchi I, Doi Y, Kenjo M, Murakami Y, Honda Y, Kakizawa H, Awai K, Chayama K, Nagata Y. Stereotactic body radiotherapy for patients with small hepatocellular carcinoma ineligible for resection or ablation therapies. Hepatol Res. 2015 Apr;45(4):378-86. doi: 10.1111/hepr.12359. Epub 2014 Jun 16.

    PMID: 24849379BACKGROUND
  • Takeda A, Sanuki N, Eriguchi T, Kobayashi T, Iwabutchi S, Matsunaga K, Mizuno T, Yashiro K, Nisimura S, Kunieda E. Stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy for previously untreated solitary hepatocellular carcinoma. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2014 Feb;29(2):372-9. doi: 10.1111/jgh.12350.

    PMID: 23927053BACKGROUND
  • Jung J, Yoon SM, Kim SY, Cho B, Park JH, Kim SS, Song SY, Lee SW, Ahn SD, Choi EK, Kim JH. Radiation-induced liver disease after stereotactic body radiotherapy for small hepatocellular carcinoma: clinical and dose-volumetric parameters. Radiat Oncol. 2013 Oct 27;8:249. doi: 10.1186/1748-717X-8-249.

    PMID: 24160910BACKGROUND
  • Andolino DL, Johnson CS, Maluccio M, Kwo P, Tector AJ, Zook J, Johnstone PA, Cardenes HR. Stereotactic body radiotherapy for primary hepatocellular carcinoma. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2011 Nov 15;81(4):e447-53. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2011.04.011. Epub 2011 Jun 7.

    PMID: 21645977BACKGROUND
  • Wahl DR, Stenmark MH, Tao Y, Pollom EL, Caoili EM, Lawrence TS, Schipper MJ, Feng M. Outcomes After Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy or Radiofrequency Ablation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma. J Clin Oncol. 2016 Feb 10;34(5):452-9. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2015.61.4925. Epub 2015 Nov 30.

    PMID: 26628466BACKGROUND
  • Kim TH, Koh YH, Kim BH, Kim MJ, Lee JH, Park B, Park JW. Proton beam radiotherapy vs. radiofrequency ablation for recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma: A randomized phase III trial. J Hepatol. 2021 Mar;74(3):603-612. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2020.09.026. Epub 2020 Oct 5.

    PMID: 33031846BACKGROUND
  • Marrero JA, Kulik LM, Sirlin CB, Zhu AX, Finn RS, Abecassis MM, Roberts LR, Heimbach JK. Diagnosis, Staging, and Management of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: 2018 Practice Guidance by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. Hepatology. 2018 Aug;68(2):723-750. doi: 10.1002/hep.29913. No abstract available.

    PMID: 29624699BACKGROUND
  • Rhim H, Yoon KH, Lee JM, Cho Y, Cho JS, Kim SH, Lee WJ, Lim HK, Nam GJ, Han SS, Kim YH, Park CM, Kim PN, Byun JY. Major complications after radio-frequency thermal ablation of hepatic tumors: spectrum of imaging findings. Radiographics. 2003 Jan-Feb;23(1):123-34; discussion 134-6. doi: 10.1148/rg.231025054.

    PMID: 12533647BACKGROUND
  • Takaki H, Yamakado K, Nakatsuka A, Yamada T, Shiraki K, Takei Y, Takeda K. Frequency of and risk factors for complications after liver radiofrequency ablation under CT fluoroscopic guidance in 1500 sessions: single-center experience. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2013 Mar;200(3):658-64. doi: 10.2214/AJR.12.8691.

    PMID: 23436859BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular

Interventions

RadiosurgeryRadiofrequency Ablation

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

AdenocarcinomaCarcinomaNeoplasms, Glandular and EpithelialNeoplasms by Histologic TypeNeoplasmsLiver NeoplasmsDigestive System NeoplasmsNeoplasms by SiteDigestive System DiseasesLiver Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

RadiotherapyTherapeuticsStereotaxic TechniquesNeurosurgical ProceduresSurgical Procedures, OperativeInvestigative TechniquesRadiofrequency TherapyAblation Techniques

Study Officials

  • Jonggi Choi, M.D, Ph D

    Asan Medical Center

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
NONE
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
Professor

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

June 22, 2022

First Posted

June 27, 2022

Study Start

August 29, 2022

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2026

Last Updated

August 18, 2023

Record last verified: 2023-08

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will not share

Locations