Management of Incidentally Discovered Pancreatic Cysts

June 23, 2008 updated by: Massachusetts General Hospital

A Prospective Study of the Management of Incidentally Discovered Pancreatic Cysts

The purpose of this study is to determine the natural history of pancreatic cysts and to determine if these cysts can be effectively treated with a less invasive therapy (ethanol injection vs periodic imaging) rather than surgical resection

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Terminated

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The appropriate management of patients with cystic lesions of the pancreas is controversial. The identification of small asymptomatic pancreatic cysts is increasing due to an improvement in the quality of radiologic imaging and the frequency that imaging is obtained. However, the natural history of these lesions is unknown1. The current consensus guidelines established at the International Consensus Conference in Sendai, Japan in 2005 suggest that branch chain IPMNs and mucinous cystic neoplasms that cause no symptoms, measure <3cm, and have no nodules can be observed with periodic imaging. However, the time course of these pre malignant mucinous lesions, intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN) or mucinous cystadenomas, from benign to malignant has not been determined. Due to the unknown natural history, and diagnostic uncertainty, some authors have recommended routine resection2, 3. Resection, despite improvements in surgical outcomes after pancreatectomy at high volume centers, carries a mortality and morbidity of 1-6% and 35-51%, respectively4-6. More recently studies are reporting a more selective approach to avoid the risk of operation in patients with benign lesions7. Improved radiographic and endoscopic studies have been able to identify some lesions with increased malignant potential8, 9. Thus, most patients will undergo pancreas specific radiologic imaging and endoscopic ultrasound with cyst aspiration. Since the natural history of cystic lesions is poorly understood no clear guidelines for surgical resection have been established. Some of the cysts will grow over time, with an increase in the cumulative risk of malignancy. Therefore, the therapeutic alternatives are to wait and watch for a change in the cyst morphology or to treat preemptively, which has been restricted to surgical resection. Based on the pilot study performed by Dr. William Brugge, at Massachusetts General Hospital, ethanol lavage of pancreatic cysts is safe and will result in a decrease in cyst diameter in 61% of patients. Additionally, if patients elect to not be treated preemptively it is unclear how to best follow these patients in terms of the type and the frequency of follow up studies.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02114
        • Massachusetts General Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 90 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Cyst between 1-3cm
  • No evidence of a mural nodule, solid component, or septations in the cyst
  • For patients with multiple cysts, the largest will be evaluated

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Any imaging or cytology concerning for malignancy
  • Pancreatic Pseudocyst
  • Gross Cyst >3cm as measured on MRCP
  • Clinically active pancreatitis or serum amylase or lipase >3x upper limit of normal
  • Coagulopathy (INR>1.5, PTT>100, Platelets<50K)
  • Inability to tolerate conscious sedation and endoscopy
  • Rated ASA IV or greater
  • Prior EUS and aspiration of the pancreatic cyst
  • Breast feeding
  • Pregnancy

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
No Intervention: A
Observation of pancreatic cysts
Experimental: B
Ethanol lavage of pancreatic cysts
Other: Ethanol lavage
Ethanol lavage of pancreatic cysts.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Patients not progressing to operation due to the development of symptoms, growth to a maximum diameter of >3cm, or development of a mural nodule.
Time Frame: 3 years
3 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
A decrease in size by >1 cm on MRCP Relative decrease in size of cyst after 1 or 2 injections with ethanol Is reduction in size durable (over what length of time)?
Time Frame: 3 years
3 years

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Massachusetts General Hospital

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Cristina R Ferrone, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 1, 2007

Primary Completion (Anticipated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
October 1, 2012

Study Completion (Anticipated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
October 1, 2012

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
October 24, 2007

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 24, 2007

First Posted (Estimate)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
October 26, 2007

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 26, 2008

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 23, 2008

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
June 1, 2008

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2007-P-000420

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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