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18Fluorine-Fluciclovine PET/CT for Staging Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer Preceding Radical Cystectomy

A Pilot Study of 18Fluorine-Fluciclovine Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography for Staging Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer Preceding Radical Cystectomy

Status
Active, not recruiting
Phases
Early Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04018053
Enrollment
16
Registered
2019-07-12
Start date
2020-02-26
Completion date
2026-07-01
Last updated
2026-01-27

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

Conditions

Bladder Cancer, Urothelial Carcinoma

Keywords

Bladder cancer, urothelial carcinoma, cystectomy

Brief summary

This research study is studying a positron emission tomography (PET) agent called 18F-fluciclovine to evaluate how well 18F-fluciclovine-PET scans determine the extent of muscle invasive bladder cancer (as compared to regular CT and MRI imaging) and whether 18F-fluciclovine-PET scans can provide information about the pathologic grade of the tumor.

Detailed description

This research study is a pilot study, which is the first-time investigators are examining this study imaging agent, 18F-fluciclovine, for use in imaging bladder cancer. Staging of muscle invasive bladder cancer is currently done using computed tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Both CT and MRI are useful to determine the extent of bladder cancer, but some studies show that up to 40% of patients with negative CT or MRI scans for disease outside the bladder are found to have disease outside the bladder (in lymph nodes near the bladder) at the time of surgery. Given the limitations of the imaging exams currently used for staging bladder cancer, new techniques and imaging agents that can better identify metastatic lesions, especially within the pelvis, are desired and would be very useful. 18F-fluciclovine is a new radiotracer that was recently approved to evaluate lesions in recurrent prostate cancer (but not for bladder cancer). This radiotracer targets amino-acid receptors, which are overexpressed in multiple cancers. Studies have shown that 18F-fluciclovine PET/CT can visualize other types of cancers, such as breast cancer. A major advantage of 18F-fluciclovine is that it does not get into the bladder during the time of imaging. This may make it easier to see disease in the pelvis that is outside the bladder. The purpose of this study to determine whether 18F-fluciclovine PET/CT can better stage muscle invasive bladder cancer compared to conventional CT or MRI. A secondary aim of this study is to determine whether 18F-fluciclovine PET/CT can reveal the pathologic grade of the bladder cancer, which is only determined from pathology specimens obtained at surgery.

Interventions

18F-fluciclovine is a new radiotracer. This radiotracer targets amino-acid transporters, which are overexpressed in multiple cancers.

DEVICEPET/CT

Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) uses small amounts of radioactive materials called radiotracers, a special camera and a computer to help evaluate organ and tissue functions.

Sponsors

Brigham and Women's Hospital
Lead SponsorOTHER
Blue Earth Diagnostics
CollaboratorINDUSTRY

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
DIAGNOSTIC
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Participants must have histologically or cytologically confirmed urothelial carcinoma of the bladder. * Participants must have cT2-T4N0 disease at the time of the study, as defined by conventional CT or MRI imaging. Patients must have no definite evidence of locoregional or distant metastatic disease at the time of study eligibility, as defined by conventional imaging. * Radical cystectomy must be planned for the patient after the planned 18F-fluciclovine-PET/CT. * Patients may or may not have had prior neoadjuvant therapy prior to this study. * Age ≥18 years. Since no dosing or adverse event data are currently available on the use of 18F-fluciclovine in participants \<18 years of age, and the majority of bladder cancer occur in the adult population \[42\], children are excluded from this study but will be eligible for future pediatric trials. * ECOG performance status ≤2 (Karnofsky ≥60%, see Appendix A) * Ability and willingness to comply with the study procedures. * The effects of 18F-fluciclovine on the developing human fetus are unknown. For this reason and because radiopharmaceuticals may be teratogenic, women of childbearing potential and men must agree to use adequate contraception (barrier method of birth control; abstinence) prior to study entry and for 24 hours after the PET/CT scan is completed. Should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately. * Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document

Exclusion criteria

* Participants with other known malignancies that has required treatment in the past 3 years. * Pregnant women are excluded from this study because 18F-fluciclovine is a radiopharmaceutical with the potential for teratogenic effects. Because of the radiation exposure to a nursing infant from 18F-fluciclovine, women who are breastfeeding are also excluded from this study. * History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to 18F-fluciclovine. * Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements. * Contraindications for PET/CT including: * Severe claustrophobia * Any past or current condition that in the opinion of the study investigators would confound the results of the study or pose additional risk to the patient by their participation in the study

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
The Agreement Rate of Metastatic Disease Status Between 18F-fluciclovine-PET/CT and Histopathology From Radical Cystectomy2 yearsLymph nodes will be classified as positive or negative for metastatic disease on 18F-fluciclovine PET/CT and compared to pathologic stage as determined from surgery.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
The Amount of 18F-fluciclovine Accumulation in the Primary Bladder Tumor on PET2 years18F-fluciclovine SUVmax in primary bladder tumor as a measure of uptake; primary tumor stage and size at radical cystectomy
Number of Participants With Suspected Distant Metastatic Disease by 18F-fluciclovine-PET/CT2 yearsVisualization of distant metastases on 18F-fluciclovine-PET/CT will be binary-categorized as present/absent. We will compute sensitivity to compare 18F-fluciclovine-PET/CT with standard imaging modalities for distant metastases. The number of distant metastases will be descriptively shown by imaging modalities.
18F-fluciclovine Uptake on PET/CT to the Presence/Absence of ASCT2 and LAT1 Amino Acid Transporters.2 Years18F-fluciclovine SUVmax in primary bladder tumor; Presence/absence of ASCT2 and LAT1 amino acid transporter in resected primary bladder tumors

Countries

United States

Contacts

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORHeather Jacene, MD

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Participant flow

Recruitment details

The first patient consented and enrolled on 2/26/2020 until 11/2023.

Participants by arm

ArmCount
18F-fluciclovine
Major eligibility criteria were histologically or cytologically confirmed MIBC, clinical stage T2-T4, N0 disease by CT/MRI at the time of study enrollment, and planned RC. Participants may or may not have had neoadjuvant systemic therapy before enrollment and prior to RC.
16
Total16

Baseline characteristics

Characteristic18F-fluciclovine
Age, Continuous73 years
Lymph node metastases detection with fluciclovine PET in muscle-invasive bladder cancer12 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
5 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
11 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
0 / 16
other
Total, other adverse events
0 / 16
serious
Total, serious adverse events
0 / 16

Outcome results

Primary

The Agreement Rate of Metastatic Disease Status Between 18F-fluciclovine-PET/CT and Histopathology From Radical Cystectomy

Lymph nodes will be classified as positive or negative for metastatic disease on 18F-fluciclovine PET/CT and compared to pathologic stage as determined from surgery.

Time frame: 2 years

Population: 16 patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer who underwent radical cystectomy; 12 with prior neoadjuvant chemotherapy before radical cystectomy.

ArmMeasureValue (NUMBER)
18F-fluciclovineThe Agreement Rate of Metastatic Disease Status Between 18F-fluciclovine-PET/CT and Histopathology From Radical Cystectomy0.67 proportion of agreement scan and path
Secondary

18F-fluciclovine Uptake on PET/CT to the Presence/Absence of ASCT2 and LAT1 Amino Acid Transporters.

18F-fluciclovine SUVmax in primary bladder tumor; Presence/absence of ASCT2 and LAT1 amino acid transporter in resected primary bladder tumors

Time frame: 2 Years

Secondary

Number of Participants With Suspected Distant Metastatic Disease by 18F-fluciclovine-PET/CT

Visualization of distant metastases on 18F-fluciclovine-PET/CT will be binary-categorized as present/absent. We will compute sensitivity to compare 18F-fluciclovine-PET/CT with standard imaging modalities for distant metastases. The number of distant metastases will be descriptively shown by imaging modalities.

Time frame: 2 years

ArmMeasureValue (NUMBER)
18F-fluciclovineNumber of Participants With Suspected Distant Metastatic Disease by 18F-fluciclovine-PET/CT0 participants
Secondary

The Amount of 18F-fluciclovine Accumulation in the Primary Bladder Tumor on PET

18F-fluciclovine SUVmax in primary bladder tumor as a measure of uptake; primary tumor stage and size at radical cystectomy

Time frame: 2 years

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 5, 2026