The PALSUR-study: Palliative Care Versus Surgery in High-grade Glioma Patients (ENCRAM 2203)

Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot listed
Trial typeObservational
Biological sexAll
Age18-90
SponsorJasper Gerritsen

About this trial

There is no consensus on the optimal treatment of patients with high-grade glioma, especially when patients have limited functioning performance at presentation (KPS ≤70). Therefore, there are varied practice patterns around pursuing biopsy, resection, or palliation (best supportive care). This study aims to characterize the impact of palliative care versus biopsy versus resection on survival and quality of life in these patients. Also, it will aim to determine if there is a subset of patients that benefit the most from resection or biopsy, for which outcome, and how they could be identified preoperatively.

This study is an international, multicenter, prospective, 3-arm cohort study of observational nature. Consecutive HGG patients will be treated with palliative care, biopsy, or resection at a 1:3:3 ratio. Primary endpoints are: 1) overall survival, and 2) quality of life at 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months after initial presentation based on the EQ-5D, EORTC QLQ C30 and EORTC BN 20 questionnaires. Total duration of the study is 5 years. Patient inclusion is 4 years, follow-up is 1 year.

Eligibility criteria

This trial does not accept healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

Age ≥18 years and ≤90 years

Tumor diagnosed as HGG (WHO grade III/IV) on MRI as assessed by the neurosurgeon

Written informed consent

Disqualifiers

Tumors of the cerebellum, brainstem or midline

Inability to give written informed consent

Secondary high-grade glioma due to malignant transformation from low-grade glioma

Second primary malignancy within the past 5 years with the exception of adequately treated in situ carcinoma of any organ or basal cell carcinoma of the skin

Trial population

Patients will be recruited from the neurosurgical or neurological outpatient clinic or through referral from general hospitals of the participating neurosurgical hospitals, located in Europe and the United States. The study is carried out by centers from the ENCRAM Consortium.

Trial design

Design model

Cohort

Time perspective

Prospective

Treatments tested in this trial

  • Palliative Care

    Behavioral

    Best supportive care without surgical intervention

  • Tumor biopsy

    Procedure/Surgery

    Tumor biopsy

  • Tumor resection

    Procedure/Surgery

    Maximal safe resection of the tumor

Treatment groups

1,015 Participants
are divided into 3 treatment groups
Group A: Palliative Care1 intervention
Group B: Tumor biopsy1 intervention
Group C: Tumor resection1 intervention

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

1

Overall survival

Time from diagnosis to death from any cause

Time frame
Up to 5 years postoperatively
2

Quality of life at 3 months (EORTC QLQ C30)

Quality of life as assessed by the EORTC QLQ C30 questionnaire

Time frame
3 months postoperatively
3

Quality of life at 3 months (EORTC QLQ BN20)

Quality of life as assessed by the EORTC QLQ BN20 questionnaire

Time frame
3 months postoperatively
4

Quality of life at 3 months (EQ-5D)

Quality of life as assessed by the EQ-5D questionnaire

Time frame
3 months postoperatively

Secondary outcomes

1

Quality of life at 6 weeks (EORTC QLQ C30)

Quality of life as assessed by the EORTC QLQ C30 questionnaire

Time frame
6 weeks postoperatively
2

Quality of life at 6 weeks (EORTC QLQ BN20)

Quality of life as assessed by the EORTC QLQ BN20 questionnaire

Time frame
6 weeks postoperatively
3

Quality of life at 6 weeks (EQ-5D)

Quality of life as assessed by the EQ-5D questionnaire

Time frame
6 weeks postoperatively
4

Quality of life at 6 months (EORTC QLQ C30)

Quality of life as assessed by the EORTC QLQ C30 questionnaire

Time frame
6 months postoperatively

Other outcomes

Sponsors and contacts

Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.

Jasper Gerritsen

Lead sponsor

Erasmus Medical Center

Sponsor institution

Haaglanden Medical Centre

Collaborator

Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven

Collaborator

University Hospital Heidelberg

Collaborator

Technical University of Munich

Collaborator

Insel Gruppe AG, University Hospital Bern

Collaborator

Massachusetts General Hospital

Collaborator

University of California, San Francisco

Collaborator