Recruiting
Phase 2

RTFS with Systemic Therapy

Sponsor:

University of Vermont Medical Center

Code:

NCT06974370

Conditions

Brain Metastases, Adult

Brain Metastases From Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Active Surveillance

Study Details

Brief summary:

This pilot pragmatic trial evaluates the feasibility of avoiding radiation therapy in patients with brain metastases who demonstrate an intracranial response to systemic therapy-including immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and/or chemotherapy. The study will prospectively enroll 45 patients, divided into two cohorts: 30 with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving immunotherapy, and 15 with brain metastases from other solid tumors. Eligible participants must have at least one brain metastasis not planned for radiation or surgery and must be initiating or planning to initiate a systemic therapy regimen expected to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and achieve intracranial activity.

All patients will undergo a re-evaluation brain MRI 4-8 weeks after initiating systemic therapy. If lesions are stable or regressing, patients will continue surveillance without radiation. If progression is noted, standard-of-care radiation may be administered at the discretion of the treating physician. The primary objective is to assess 6-month radiation therapy-free survival (RTFS) in NSCLC patients based on PD-L1 expression status. Secondary endpoints include intracranial progression-free survival, overall survival, radiation necrosis rate, and quality of life. This study seeks to inform future trial design and identify patients who may safely avoid brain radiation.

Conditions

Brain Metastases, Adult

Brain Metastases From Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

Study ID

NCT06974370

Start date

Jun 5, 2025

Status verified date

May, 2026

Completion date

Dec, 2030

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Dec, 2030

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

Pathologically (histologically or cytologically) proven diagnosis of a solid tumor malignancies within 5 years prior to registration. If the original histologic proof of malignancy is greater than 5 years, then more recent pathologic confirmation (e.g., from a systemic site or brain metastasis) or unequivocal imaging confirmation of extracranial metastatic disease (e.g. CT of the chest/abdomen/pelvis, PET/CT, etc.) is required. These scans are considered standard-of-care (SOC) and will not be ordered for research purposes.

Initiation or planning for initiation of systemic therapy to include one or more of the following categories expected to cause an intracranial response:

  • Brain penetrant targeted therapies (e.g. tyrosine kinase inhibitors, multikinase inhibitors, EGFR inhibitor, ALK inhibitor, BRAF/MEK inhibitor)
  • Checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy (e.g. PDL-1 inhibitors, PD1 inhibitors, CTLA-4 inhibitors)
  • HER2 antibody-drug conjugate (e.g. TDM1, TDX-D)
  • Anti-Hormone therapies for Breast Cancer
  • Cytotoxic chemotherapy alone may be started initially, but with plan for immunotherapy or eligible targeted therapy noted above before the re-evaluation MRI head

At least 1 brain metastasis that not planned for radiation therapy or surgery.

All brain metastases not planned for resection much be ≤3 cm, with no minimum size required.

Systemic therapy has started within 4 weeks of MRI brain showing new or progressive disease or plan to start systemic therapy within 4 weeks of MRI brain showing new or progressive disease.

Ability to obtain MRI head scans with contrast. All MRI head scans must have slice thickness ≤1.5 mm.

Age ≥ 18 years

KPS >60

Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

No use of the planned new systemic therapy meeting 2.1.2 criteria to address brain metastases within the last 6 months.

Prior radiotherapy to the active brain metastases (partial or whole brain irradiation, or prophylactic cranial irradiation \[PCI\])

Patients pregnant or nursing due to the potential for congenital abnormalities and the potential of this regimen to harm nursing infants. Negative urine pregnancy test (in persons of childbearing potential) within 14 days prior to registration. Childbearing potential is defined as any person who has experienced menarche and who has not undergone surgical sterilization (hysterectomy or bilateral oophorectomy) or who is not postmenopausal.

Serious medical comorbidities that in the opinion of the investigator would prevent participation in this study.

Known leptomeningeal disease (LMD)

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Study Design

Enrollment

45 participants

Anticipated

Intervention Model

Single group

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Systemic Therapy With Surveillance for Brain Metastases

Participants with brain metastases from solid tumors will receive standard-of-care systemic therapy expected to have intracranial activity, such as immunotherapy, targeted therapy, or anti-HER2 agents. A re-evaluation brain MRI will be performed 4-8 weeks after starting therapy. If lesions are stable or responding, patients will continue on systemic therapy with MRI surveillance every 3 months. Radiation therapy may be administered only if progression is observed. All participants are managed according to this pathway, regardless of primary tumor type.

Interventions

Active Surveillance

Following systemic therapy, participants will undergo active surveillance with brain MRI every 3 months. Radiation therapy will only be initiated if disease progression is observed on imaging, at the discretion of the treating physician.

Primary outcome measure

  • 6-Month Radiation Therapy-Free Survival (RTFS) by PD-L1 Status in NSCLC Patients with Brain Metastases [ Time Frame: 6 months from baseline brain MRI ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Locations

University of Vermont Medical Center

Recruiting

Burlington, Vermont, United States, 05401

Contacts

Principal Investigator:

Christopher Anker, MD

More Information

Sponsor

University of Vermont Medical Center

Last update posted

May 26, 2026

Last verified

May, 2026

Keywords

  • Brain Metastases
  • Radiation Therapy
  • NSCLC
  • Quality of Life
  • FACT-Br
  • NANO Scale
  • Pragmatic Trial

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by University of Vermont Medical Center on 2026-05-26.