Proton Craniospinal Irradiation With Bone Sparing to Decrease Growth Decrement From Radiation

March 16, 2026 updated by: Kevin X. Liu, MD, DPHIL, Massachusetts General Hospital

Craniospinal Irradiation Using Proton Beam Scanning With Selective Vertebral Body/Bone Sparing to Improve Marrow Reserve and Decrease Growth Decrement for Children

This research study is studying proton radiation as a possible treatment for brain tumor that requires radiation.

The radiation involved in this study is:

-Proton Radiation

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

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

This research study is a Pilot Study to determine whether using proton therapy in participants that require craniospinal radiation (whole brain and spinal cord radiation therapy) with sparing of the bony spine will work. This is the first time investigators are examining bone sparing proton therapy in pediatric craniospinal radiation.

The FDA (the U.S. Food and Drug Administration) has not approved proton radiation for this specific disease but it has been approved for other uses.

In this research study, the investigators are studying proton radiation in participants that require craniospinal radiation. The standard of care for this procedure is photon radiation, which is very similar to proton radiation. The investigators believe that the precision of proton radiation may help to reduce the negative effects radiation has on the surrounding non-cancerous growing and developing tissue

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

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
20

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.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02214
        • Massachusetts General Hospital
    • Texas
      • Houston, Texas, United States, 77030
        • Md Anderson Cancer Center

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

3 years to 18 years (Child, Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age ≥ 3 years and ≤ 18 years at the time of registration
  • Histologically proven malignancy necessitating cranio-spinal irradiation. This will include patients with a diagnosis of medulloblastoma, Supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumor (SPNET), germ cell tumor (GCT), disseminated ependymoma, embryonal tumor with abundant neuropil and true rosettes (ETANTR), Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumor (ATRT), and disseminated low-grade glioma (LGG).
  • Life expectancy ≥ 12 months.
  • Signed informed consent document and assent when appropriate.
  • HGB of > 10 g/L and PLT count > 80 K/uL

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Any prior therapeutic radiation therapy > 500 cGy has been delivered.
  • Individuals with a history of a different malignancy are ineligible except for the following circumstances: if they have been disease-free for at least 5 years and are deemed by the investigator to be a low-risk for recurrence of that malignancy; or, have had only cervical cancer in situ, or basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin.
  • Any major uncontrolled or poorly controlled intercurrent illness that would limit compliance with study requirements.
  • Pregnant females are excluded. Females of childbearing age/menstruating must confirm that either they are not sexually active or have a negative pregnancy test prior to initiation of radiation therapy.
  • Patients that receive concurrent chemotherapy with the exception of concurrent Vincristine.

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: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

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.
Experimental: Proton Radiotherapy
  • Patients will be treated with Proton Beam once daily 5 days per week.
  • Doses will be prescribed such that maximum possible coverage is achieved
Radiation: Proton Beam
precision radiation that reduce the negative effects radiation has on the surrounding non-cancerous growing and developing tissue

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
Measure Description
Time Frame
Feasibility of cranio-spinal irradiation (CSI) utilizing intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) with pencil beam scanning (PBS) for vertebral body sparing (VBS) in pediatric patients.
Time Frame: 3 months
IMPT using PBS delivery will be considered to be feasible as a VBS technique for CSI in pediatric patients if the rate of grade 3/4 hematologic toxicity were no more than 5% within 3 months after the completion of radiation treatment, within the range associated with conventional techniques of CSI. Toxicity will be assess using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) Version 4.0.
3 months

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
Measure Description
Time Frame
Early marrow changes in the vertebral bodies
Time Frame: 2 years
Summary of early marrow changes in the vertebral bodies by Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spine during radiation therapy (RT) by comparing one study MRI to the baseline pre-RT MRI.
2 years
Change in sitting height and standing height
Time Frame: Annually for 5 years
Summary of the changes in the participants sitting and standing heights.
Annually for 5 years
Time to abnormality in spinal curvature
Time Frame: 5 years
Participants are monitored both clinically and by MRI for any abnormality in spinal curvature. The time to abnormality in spine curvature will be measured from the start of radiation to the date of documented abnormality or censored at the date of last follow-up for patients still alive with normal spine.
5 years
Disease Free Survival
Time Frame: 5 years
Disease-free survival is measured from the start of radiation to the date of progressive disease based on imaging studies obtained as standard care or to the date of death due to any cause, whichever is earlier. Disease-free survival will be estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Patients without progressive disease and still alive will be censored at their date of last contact.
5 years
Pattern of Disease Relapse
Time Frame: 2 years
Summary of the sites where the cancer relapses. Relapse is the regrowth of cancer cells.
2 years
Complete blood counts (CBC) over time
Time Frame: Annually for 5 years
Summary of the change in complete blood counts (CBC) over time as determined by yearly blood samples.
Annually for 5 years
Change in levels of vitamin D, calcium, and growth hormones over time
Time Frame: Annually for 5 years
Summary of the changes in blood levels of vitamin D, calcium, and growth hormones.
Annually for 5 years
Weight
Time Frame: Annually for 5 years
Summary of the changes in weight of the participants as assessed by yearly evaluations.
Annually for 5 years
BMI
Time Frame: Annually for 5 years
Summary of the body mass index (BMI) of the participants as assessed by yearly physical evaluations.
Annually for 5 years
Vertebral column growth (measured by MRI) over 1 year
Time Frame: Last day of treatment to 1 year later
Summary of vertebral column growth (measured by MRI) over 1 year following vertebral body sparing cranio-spinal irradiation in pediatric patients.
Last day of treatment to 1 year later

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

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
National Cancer Institute (NCI)

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: Shannon MacDonald, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital

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 (Actual)

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.
January 4, 2018

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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.
June 30, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
December 31, 2027

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).
September 8, 2017

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.
September 11, 2017

First Posted (Actual)

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.
September 13, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

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.
March 19, 2026

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.
March 16, 2026

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.
March 1, 2026

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.
  • 17-283
  • U19CA021239-37 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

Yes

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

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.

Clinical Trials on Brain Tumor

Clinical Trials on Proton Beam

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings