Omission of ALND in Breast Cancer Patients With Axillary pCR

December 27, 2024 updated by: Jue Wang, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University

Omission of Axillary Lymph Node Dissection in Breast Cancer Patients With Axillary Pathological Complete Response After Neoadjuvant Systemic Therapy

This prospective, single-arm, phase II trial studies axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) to see if it can be safely omitted in breast cancer patients with axillary pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST). Breast cancer patients with biopsy-proven positive axillary lymph nodes at initial diagnosis, and converted to negative after NST, which is confirmed by Stained region Lymph Node Biopsy(SrLNB), will be enrolled in the study. In other words, a total of 92 patients will be exempted from ALND after SrLNB, and afterwards complete regional node irradiation (RNI) including the axilla. They will also undergo adjuvant chemotherapy, targeted therapy, endocrinotherapy after surgery. These patients will be followed up in the next three years for local-regional recurrence and long-time survival outcome.

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.

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.

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 (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.
92

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 Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • China
      • Nanjing, China
        • Recruiting
        • The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University
        • Contact:

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Female aged between 18 and 70 years;
  2. Pathologically confirmed invasive breast cancer (regardless of pathological type) with a clinical stage cT1-3;
  3. Pathologically confirmed positive axillary lymph nodes with a clinical stage of N1-3;
  4. Receiving a full course of neoadjuvant therapy (including neoadjuvant chemotherapy, neoadjuvant targeted therapy, neoadjuvant immunotherapy);
  5. Positive axillary lymph nodes successfully stained by carbon nanoparticles injection;
  6. All patients are required to undergo immunohistochemical staining for Estrogen Receptor (ER), Progesterone Receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), Ki- 67 proliferation index, and further fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) should be performed in HER2 2+ cases;
  7. Preoperative clinical assessment (including physical examination, imaging, with or without nomogram assessment) suggests positive axillary lymph nodes converted to negative (ycN0);
  8. ECOG score 0 - 1;
  9. Patients voluntarily participated in this study and signed the informed consent form

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Bilateral breast cancer;
  2. Breast cancer during lactation period or pregnancy;
  3. Physical examination or imaging examination confirmed presence of distant metastases;
  4. Previous history of malignant tumor;
  5. History of previous surgery on the affected axilla; or history of surgery affecting the function of the upper extremity;
  6. History of radiation therapy to the breast or chest;
  7. Positive incision margins for breast-conserving surgery/mastectomy;
  8. Positive results of intraoperative rapid freeze pathology (including isolated tumor cells and micrometastases) for SrLNB (ypN+);
  9. Those who unable to complete the full course of follow-up adjuvant therapy as prescribed for various reasons;
  10. Aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) ≥ 1.5 times the upper limit of normal, alkaline phosphatase（ALP） ≥ 2.5 times the upper limit of normal, total bile ≥ 1.5 times the upper limit of normal, serum creatinine ≥ 1.5 times the upper limit of normal; Left Ventricular Ejection Fractions (LVEF) < 50% in cardiac ultrasound;
  11. Severe coagulation dysfunction, serious systemic disease, or uncontrolled infection;
  12. Without personal freedom and independent civil capacity;
  13. Those with mental disorders, addictions, who were not eligible for enrollment in the judgment of the investigator.

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: Omit ALND

Omitting Axillary Lymph Node Dissection (ALND) in SrLNB-proven axillary complete response patients.

Finishing regional lymph node irradiation (RNI) including the axilla after surgery.
Radiation: Regional lymph node radiotherapy (RNI) including the axilla
RNI including the axilla covers the supraclavicular region and entire axillary lymphatic drainage area (region I, II and III) ,and is at a dose of 50 Gy/25 times, with additional prophylactic irradiation of the internal breast lymphatic drainage area for eligible patients.
Procedure: Stained region Lymph Node Biopsy (SrLNB)
Before NST, carbon nanoparticles suspension would be injected into the cortex of positive lymph nodes for staining under ultrasound guidance. Marked lymph nodes will be removed and biopsied after NST.

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
iDFS: invasive Disease-Free Survival after breast surgery
Time Frame: Up to 3 years after surgery
Time interval from the surgery to invasive local-regional recurrence, distant metastasis, contralateral invasive breast cancer, or death from any cause.
Up to 3 years after surgery

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
LRR: Local-Regional Recurrence after breast surgery
Time Frame: Up to 3 years after surgery
This includes both local and regional recurrences. Local recurrence is defined as recurrence in the ipsilateral breast, chest wall, skin or surgical scar. Regional recurrence is defined as recurrence in the affected lymphatic drainage area, including the axilla, supraclavicular region, subclavicular region, and internal mammary node area.
Up to 3 years after surgery
BCRL: Breast Cancer Related Lymphedema
Time Frame: Up to 3 years after surgery
Objective evaluation of upper limb lymphedema by arm circumference and bioelectrical impedance measurement. In our study, BCRL is diagnosed in two ways：① Relative Volume Change (RVC ) >10% in the affected upper extremity. ②Bioelectrical impedance technology: the impedance ratio is defined as the ratio of the impedance of the healthy upper limb to the impedance of the affected upper limb, and BCRL is diagnosed when the patient's impedance ratio is higher than the mean + 2 standard deviations (SD) of healthy controls. When the two measurements are inconsistent, the former results shall prevail.
Up to 3 years after surgery
Quality of life (QoL)
Time Frame: Up to 3 years after surgery
Patients' subjective assessment of quality of life (QoL) using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast (FACT-B) . FACT-B is divided into 36 items in 5 domains, namely: physical status (7 items), social/family status (7 items), emotional status (6 items), functional status (7 items) and additional concerns, and each item is classified into five levels: not at all (0), somewhat (1), somewhat (2), fairly (3) and very much (4). Positive items were scored directly from 0 to 4, while negative items (i.e., the larger the number of response options, the worse the quality of life) were scored in reverse. The total score of FACT-B scale ranges from 0 to 144, a higher score means a better quality of life for the patient.
Up to 3 years after surgery
Patient-reported arm morbidity
Time Frame: Up to 3 years after surgery
Patients' subjective assessment of lymphedema using the Quick Disability of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (Quick DASH) questionnaires，Quick DASH consists of 11 items, and is a self-rating scale of daily functioning including social functioning and physical activity and upper extremity symptoms. Each item is divided into 5 levels, and the patient's score is calculated as score = [(patient score/number of response items) - 1] × 25, with a total score of 0 to 100, and the higher the score, the greater the degree of upper limb dysfunction.
Up to 3 years after surgery

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.
The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University

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.
September 11, 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.
July 1, 2025

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.
July 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).
July 1, 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.
July 10, 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.
July 11, 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.
March 25, 2025

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.
December 27, 2024

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.
December 1, 2024

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.
  • SrLNB

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

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.

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