Brain Neoplasms
Conditions
Brief summary
Brain tumours often have low oxygen levels, and that makes them more resistant to radiation therapy. If patients breathe the right mixture of oxygen during treatment, radiation may work better. In this study, patients with brain tumour will undergo a special MRI test while they breathe different mixtures of oxygen and carbon dioxide to find out whether oxygen levels improve in the tumor. Patients will also be asked to repeat this MRI test during the second week of radiation therapy, as well as 3 months, 6 months and 1 year after RT. The MRI test after RT will help us understand how the blood vessels in the normal brain are affected by radiation.
Interventions
PROCEDUREMRI
Patients will be scanned while breathing in varying amounts of oxygen and carbon dioxide in varying amounts through a breathing device.
Sponsors
Princess Margaret Hospital, Canada
University Health Network, Toronto
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Patients with primary gliomas visible on MRI who are planning to receive radiotherapy or * Patients with brain metastases\>1cm who are planning to receive radiotherapy * Karnofsky Performance Status \>60 * Age 18 years * Patients must be willing to visit Toronto Western Hospital for at least one MRI scan prior radiotherapy
Exclusion criteria
* Seizures not controlled with medications, or non compliance with prescribed anti-seizure medication * Prior radiation therapy to the brain * Pregnancy * Unwilling or unable to co-operate with breathing maneuvers * Respiratory or cardiac limitations to breathing at 20 L/min * Medical contra-indications to limited hypercapnia or hypocapnia (known increased intracerebral pressure, metabolic acidosis or alkalosis) * Contraindication to MRI (patients weighing\>136 kgs-weight limit for the scanner tables; allergy to MR contrast agent; patients with pacemakers, cerebral aneurysm clips, shrapnel injury or implantable electronic devices not compatible with MRI) * Other medical conditions deemed by the PI or associates to make the patients ineligible for protocol procedures
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| - To measure the inter-patient variability of change in tumour oxygenation with carbogen adminstration using MRI | 2 years |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| - To determine whether modulation of oxygen and carbon dioxide administration can improve tumour oxygenation relative to standard carbogen breathing on MRI | 2 years |
| - To determine whether changes in tumour oxygenation with carbogen administration are different during the second week of radiotherapy compared to baseline measurements | 2 years |
| - To determine whether the normal brain cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) measured with MRI changes through a course of radiotherapy and follow-up | 2 years |
| - To determine whether CVR differs between radiation exposed and non-exposed normal brain tissue in a given patient after radiotherapy | 2 years |
Countries
Canada
Outcome results
None listed