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PANFIRE Study: Irreversible Electroporation (IRE) to Treat Locally Advanced Pancreatic Carcinoma

PANFIRE - Pilot-study: Non-thermal Ablation Using Irreversible Electroporation (IRE) to Treat Locally Advanced Pancreatic Carcinoma - a Phase I Clinical Trial

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 1Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT01939665
Acronym
PANFIRE
Enrollment
50
Registered
2013-09-11
Start date
2013-09-30
Completion date
2016-10-31
Last updated
2022-12-20

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Locally Advanced Pancreatic Carcinoma (LAPC), Non-metastasized Unresectable Pancreatic Carcinoma, Pancreatic Cancer

Keywords

Locally advanced pancreatic carcinoma, LAPC, Irreversible electroporation, NanoKnife, IRE, Safety, Efficacy, Non-thermal ablation, Percutaneous ablation, Low Energy Direct Current

Brief summary

Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a new, minimal-invasive image-guided treatment method for tumors not amenable for surgical resection or thermal ablation, due to vicinity near vital structures such as vessels and bile ducts. With IRE, multiple electrical pulses are applied to tumorous tissue. These pulses alter the existing transmembrane potential of the cell membranes, and create 'nanopores', after which the cell dies through loss of homeostasis. The purpose of this study is to investigate the safety of percutaneous IRE in the treatment of patients with locally advanced pancreatic carcinoma (LAPC). Other objectives are feasibility and efficacy of IRE based upon symptomatic response and tumor response. Fourty patients with histologically confirmed locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma (\<5cm) will undergo percutaneous irreversible electroporation of the tumor using CT and ultrasound guidance. After IRE, patients will be carefully monitored and any (serious) adverse events are registered. Follow-up will consist of frequent CT scanning, as well as serum CA19.9 tumor marker. We hypothesize that IRE in the pancreas will induce good symptom palliation and local tumor control, without causing severe complications.

Interventions

DEVICENanoKnife Irreversible electroporation (IRE)

Tumor ablation with irreversible electroporation with the NanoKnife

Sponsors

Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc
Lead SponsorOTHER

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

Screening must be performed no longer than 2 weeks prior to study inclusion. * Radiologic confirmation of LAPC by at least ceCT of chest and abdomen (with the upper abdomen scanned according to a dedicated 3mm slice multiphase pancreatic tumor protocol), performed maximum 2 weeks prior to the procedure; * Maximum tumor diameter ≤ 5 cm; * Histological or cytological confirmation of pancreatic adenocarcinoma; * Age ≥ 18 years; * ASA-classification 0 - 3 * Life expectancy of at least 12 weeks; * Adequate bone marrow, liver and renal function as assessed by the following laboratory requirements to be conducted within 7 days prior to definite inclusion; * Hemoglobin ≥ 5.6 mmol/L; * Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1,500/mm3; * Platelet count ≥ 100\*109/l; * Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times the upper limit of normal (ULN); * ALT and AST ≤ 2.5 x ULN; * Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 x ULN or a calculated creatinine clearance ≥ 50 ml/min; * Prothrombin time or INR \< 1.5 x ULN; * Activated partial thromboplastin time \< 1.25 x ULN (therapeutic anticoagulation therapy is allowed if this treatment can be interrupted as judged by the treating physician); * Written informed consent;

Exclusion criteria

* Resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma as discussed by our multidisciplinary hepatobiliary team; * Extrapancreatic metastases; * Successful down staging after (radio)chemotherapy from previous unresectable/borderline tumor to resectable tumor; * Stage IV pancreatic carcinoma; * History of epilepsy; * History of cardiac disease: * Congestive heart failure \>NYHA class 2; * Active Coronary Artery Disease (defined as myocardial infarction within 6 months prior to screening); * Cardiac arrhythmias requiring anti-arrhythmic therapy or pacemaker (beta blockers for antihypertensive regimen are permitted); * Uncontrolled hypertension. Blood pressure must be ≤160/95 mmHg at the time of screening on a stable antihypertensive regimen; * Compromised liver function (e.g. signs of portal hypertension, INR \> 1,5 without use of anticoagulants, ascites); * Uncontrolled infections (\> grade 2 NCI-CTC version 3.0); * Pregnant or breast-feeding subjects. Women of childbearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test performed within 7 days of the start of treatment; * Immunotherapy ≤ 6 weeks prior to the procedure; * Chemotherapy ≤ 6 weeks prior to the procedure; * Radiotherapy ≤ 6 weeks prior to the procedure; * Concomitant use of anti-convulsive and anti-arrhythmic drugs (other than beta blockers used for antihypertensive); * Allergy to contrast media; * Any implanted stimulation device; * Any implanted metal stent/device within the area of ablation that cannot be removed; * Any condition that is unstable or that could jeopardize the safety of the subject and their compliance in the study; Of note, patients with contra-indications for MRI will not be excluded from participation: in this case radiologic follow-up will consist of CT-scanning according to protocol.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Safety (number of adverse events)early: 90 days; late: 12 monthsNumber of adverse events of IRE-treatment (within 12 months after treatment) are registered and analyzed according to the CTCAE version 4.0. Complications related to IRE are early complications during hospital admission (e.g. bile leak, bowel leak, infection, pancreatitis), or late complications of IRE such as bile duct stenosis that become apparent during follow-up in the year after treatment.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Tumor response12 months* Ablation success: the ability to deliver the planned therapy and at 3 months to have no evidence of residual tumor; * Local recurrence rate (LRR): defined as the reappearance of viable tumor after a period of time during which viable tumor could not be detected; * Overall survival and (local and distant) progression-free survival.

Countries

Netherlands

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 27, 2026