A Pivotal Study of Safety and Effectiveness of NanoKnife IRE for Stage 3 Pancreatic Cancer (NCT03899636) | Clinical Trial Compass
Active — Not RecruitingPhase 3
A Pivotal Study of Safety and Effectiveness of NanoKnife IRE for Stage 3 Pancreatic Cancer
United States528 participantsStarted 2021-02-23
Plain-language summary
Subjects will be offered the opportunity to participate in a randomized, controlled, 2-arm, unblinded multicenter trial (RCT). There will be 2 study arms: the control arm receiving chemotherapy with the modified FOLFIRINOX regimen alone; and the irreversible electroporation (IRE) arm, receiving chemotherapy with the modified FOLFIRINOX regimen followed by IRE with the NanoKnife System using either an open or a percutaneous approach. All subjects will be treated with the modified FOLFIRINOX regimen for at least 3 months; randomization to either control or IRE arm will take place at the time of completion of the 3 month modified FOLFIRINOX chemotherapy regimen. Randomization will be conducted centrally. Subjects will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio and must be found to have no evidence of disease progression after completion of the 3 month modified FOLFIRINOX chemotherapy regimen in order to participate in the RCT. All radiologic assessments will be performed as consistent with the imaging protocol. All post induction and post IRE treatments are left to the discretion of the treating physician. The minimum period of follow-up will be for 24 months or until death.
Who can participate
Age range
18 Years
Sex
ALL
See this in plain English?
AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Inclusion criteria
. Provision of signed and dated informed consent form.
. Subject is 18 years of age and older.
. Subject has a diagnosis of unresectable Stage 3 pancreatic adenocarcinoma cancer cytologically or pathologically confirmed per American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging criteria.
. Subject has a tumor evaluated as Stage 3 according to National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines, based on radiographic imaging or exploratory surgery.
. Maximum axial and anterior to posterior tumor dimension of ≤3.5cm, after receiving three months of treatment with the modified FOLFIRINOX regimen.
. Subject has received 3 months of treatment with the modified FOLFIRINOX regimen.
Questions worth asking your doctor
Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.
1Based on my diagnosis and history, is this trial worth exploring for me — or is there a standard treatment we should try first?
2What does this trial's phase tell us about how much is already known about its safety and benefit?
3What would taking part actually involve for me — visits, tests, time, and travel?
4What are the known and possible risks or side effects I should weigh, and how would they be monitored?
5If this trial isn't the right fit, what other options or trials would you suggest I look into?
Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.
Questions for the trial coordinator
The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.
1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?
A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.
What they're measuring
1
Overall Survival
Timeframe: Time (in months) from randomization to the date of death for any reason, assessed through at least 24 months.
. Subject has an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1.
. Subject has an American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification of physical health status of 1 or 2.
Exclusion criteria
. Subjects who are or may be pregnant as determined by a positive pregnancy test or breastfeeding or male or female patients of reproductive potential who are not willing to employ highly effective birth control from screening to 6 months after the last dose of chemotherapy.
. Subjects who are unable to tolerate general anesthetic with full skeletal muscle blockade.
. Subjects who are actively bleeding, anticoagulated, coagulopathy, or have any of the following hematology results: hemoglobin less than 10 g/dL without the support of growth factors or transfusions absolute neutrophil count less than 1500 cells/mL; or platelet count less than 100,000.
. Subjects with the presence of implanted cardiac pacemakers, defibrillators, electronic devices or implanted devices with metal parts in the thoracic cavity at the time of IRE.
. Subjects with history of epilepsy or other neurological disease.
. Subjects with renal, cardiac, liver, or hematological abnormalities of concern to the investigator.
. Subjects with Stage 3, 4, or 5 chronic kidney disease.