The HELPP Score: A Pretreatment Score to Predict Survival in Pancreatic Cancer

October 25, 2023 updated by: Oliver Strobel, MD MBA, Medical University of Vienna

The HELPP Score: A Pretreatment Prognostic Score to Predict Survival and Patterns of Recurrence in Localized Non-Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer - a Multicenter Prospective Validation Study

The goal of this observational study is to validate a pretreatment prognostic score (Heidelberg Prognostic Pancreatic Cancer Score - HELPP) in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

  • Is the HELPP score able to predict median overall survival in a prospective multi-institutional cohort of patients with pretherapeutic localized non-metastatic pancreatic cancer?
  • Is the HELPP score able to predict median recurrence-free survival and patterns of recurrence after resection of pancreatic cancer?

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

Detailed Description

Accurate pretreatment staging and subsequent prediction of prognosis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is challenging due to subclinical micrometastasis as well as variations in tumor biology. Moreover, patients with non-metastasized localized PDAC are increasingly treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy prior to resection.

The investigators recently developed a preoperative prognostic score to predict postoperative outcomes based on routine laboratory biomarkers and the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, the HELPP score (Heidelberg Prognostic Pancreatic Cancer Score). Based on a large retrospective analysis of 1197 patients and an external validation cohort the HELPP score was able stratify patients based on expected survival only utilizing routinely available preoperative data. However, prospective validation is currently lacking.

This multi-site prospective observational study aims to prospectively validate the HELPP score in the clinical scenarios described above. Additionally, it aims to investigate its utility regarding median recurrence-free survival and patterns of recurrence. The study includes all consecutive patients with PDAC undergoing exploration (without or without neoadjuvant treatment) with the aim of resection within a timeframe of 12 months (all-comers concept, snapshot study).

The parameters on which the score is based on are routinely available to hospitals worldwide. Simplicity of the grading system facilitates implementation in daily clinical practice. This score could potentially help tailor treatments, aid in patient stratification in clinical trials, and provide new insights into tumor biology.

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.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

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.
1500

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

  • Austria
      • Vienna, Austria, 1090
        • Recruiting
        • Department of General Surgery, Division of Visceral Surgery, Medical University of Vienna
        • Contact:
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Carl Leonhardt, MD, MBA
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Oliver Strobel, MD, MBA

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 99 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

All consecutive patients presenting with localized non-metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma undergoing treatment (upfront resection, resection after neoadjuvant therapy, or palliative therapy) at participating centers.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • ≥18 years old
  • fit to undergo elective pancreatic resection or palliative therapy
  • localized non-metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
  • informed consent provided

Exclusion Criteria:

  • patients with a diagnosis other than pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma on histopathology
  • missing informed consent
  • missing mandatory pretreatment laboratory values
  • missing mandatory pretreatment clinicopathologic data
  • patients receiving surgery for peripancreatic cancer
  • incomplete follow-up records
  • follow-up < 24 months
  • 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

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
Median overall survival
Time Frame: Date of diagnosis to date of death; assessed up to 60 months
Median overall survival from the time of diagnosis with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma to time of death due to any cause.
Date of diagnosis to date of death; assessed up to 60 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
Recurrence-free survival
Time Frame: Date of surgery to date of the first evidence of recurrent disease; assessed up to 60 months
Median recurrence-free survival from the date of potentially curative pancreatic surgery for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma until detection of the first evidence of recurrent disease either based on cross-sectional imaging or cytology/histology.
Date of surgery to date of the first evidence of recurrent disease; assessed up to 60 months
Patterns of recurrence
Time Frame: Date of surgery to date of the first evidence of recurrent disease; assessed up to 60 months
Patterns of recurrence either based on cross-sectional imaging or cytology/histology after potentially curative pancreatic surgery of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. The location of recurrence will be defined based on the first site of recurrence. Only the first site of recurrence will be considered.
Date of surgery to date of the first evidence of recurrent disease; assessed up to 60 months

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.
Medical University of Vienna

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.
  • Study Director: Oliver Strobel, MD MBA, Medical University Vienna

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 (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.
March 1, 2023

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.
May 1, 2026

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.
November 1, 2026

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).
February 21, 2023

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.
February 21, 2023

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.
March 3, 2023

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.
October 27, 2023

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.
October 25, 2023

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.
October 1, 2023

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.
  • MUVienna HELPP

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

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.

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