Frequency of Care for Peripherally Inserted Central Vascular Access In the Prevention of Marsi (ICO-MARSI)

July 6, 2026 updated by: Institut Català d'Oncologia

Frequency of Care for Peripherally Inserted Central Vascular Access In the Prevention of Marsi: A Randomized Clinical Trial

This randomized controlled clinical trial evaluates the safety equivalence between weekly and biweekly dressing changes for peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC) in oncology patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy.

The study will assess vascular access functionality, skin integrity including Medical Adhesive-Related Skin Injury (MARSI), and the incidence of catheter-related complications.

A total of 150 adult patients with colon or pancreas cancer receiving chemotherapy and requiring PICC insertion will be randomized into two groups: weekly dressing changes (control group) or biweekly dressing changes every 14 days (intervention group).

Participants will be followed during chemotherapy treatment for a minimum of six cycles and up to twelve sessions. Outcomes include catheter-related complications, patient satisfaction with vascular access care, and quality of life measured using the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire).

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Enrolling by invitation

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

Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC) are frequently used in oncology patients to administer chemotherapy and other intravenous therapies.

Adhesive dressings are commonly used to secure the catheter and allow visualization of the insertion site. However, adhesive medical products may cause Medical Adhesive-Related Skin Injury (MARSI), particularly in patients with fragile skin due to cancer treatments or advanced age.

Current clinical practice usually recommends weekly dressing changes, mainly based on manufacturer recommendations rather than strong clinical evidence.

Frequent dressing replacement may increase the risk of skin injury due to repeated manipulation of fragile skin.

This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate whether extending the dressing change interval to 14 days provides equivalent safety compared with weekly changes in terms of vascular access functionality, skin integrity, and complication rates.

The study will be conducted at the Institut Català d'Oncologia (ICO) in Badalona and Girona, Spain.

Estimated Enrollment 150 participants. Inclusion Criteria: Adults aged 18 years or older, Diagnosis of colon or pancreas cancer, Indication for PICC insertion for chemotherapy administration Chemotherapy regimen including FOLFOX6 (Oxaliplatin + 5-FU + Folinic acid), FOLFOX4, FOLFIRI (Irinotecan + 5-FU + Folinic acid) or mFOLFIRI, Ability to understand the study and provide written informed consent.

Primary Outcome Measure: Presence of catheter-related complications including Medical Adhesive-Related Skin Injury (MARSI), Catheter-related bloodstream infection, Catheter obstruction, Catheter migration or externalization, Catheter-related thrombosis.

Time Frame: From PICC insertion (Baseline) until catheter removal or completion of chemotherapy treatment (maximum 12 chemotherapy sessions or 168 days).

Secondary Outcome Measures: Type of catheter-related complications including classification of MARSI lesions (erythema, vesicle, blister, erosion, or skin tear). Patient satisfaction with vascular access care measured using a numerical satisfaction scale ranging from 0 to 10. Quality of life measured using the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire). Assessment timepoints: baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and at PICC removal.

Follow-Up: Participants will be followed during chemotherapy treatment for a minimum of 6 cycles and up to 12 chemotherapy sessions (168 days).

Clinical monitoring will include evaluation of catheter functionality, skin integrity, catheter-related complications, patient satisfaction, and quality of life.

Statistical Analysis: Data will be collected using REDCap and analyzed using IBM SPSS statistical software. The analysis will include: Descriptive statistics Chi-square or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables Student t-test or Mann-Whitney test for comparison of means ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis tests Kaplan-Meier survival analysis Cox proportional hazards regression models Statistical significance will be set at p < 0.05.

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.
150

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 Locations

  • Spain
    • Barcelona
      • Badalona, Barcelona, Spain, 08916
        • Sandra Cabrera Jaime

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:

  • Age ≥18 years
  • Diagnosis of colon or pancreas cancer
  • Indication for PICC insertion for chemotherapy administration
  • Chemotherapy regimen including FOLFOX6, FOLFOX4, FOLFIRI, or mFOLFIRI
  • Ability to understand the study procedures
  • Signed written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Catheter-related infection within the previous 30 days
  • Known allergy to adhesive dressings
  • Raynaud syndrome
  • Skin jaundice or cyanosis at baseline

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: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

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.
Placebo Comparator: Arm 1: Weekly Dressing Change

Participants will receive standard Inserted Central Catheters (PICC) care consisting of weekly dressing replacement according to the institutional vascular access care protocol using aseptic technique.

Intervention Type: Procedure Intervention Name: Weekly PICC Dressing Change
Procedure: Weekly dressing for peripherally inserted central catheters
dressing changes for peripherally inserted central catheters every week
Procedure: peripherally inserted central catheters
peripherally inserted central catheters
Active Comparator: Arm 2. Biweekly Inserted Central Catheters (PICC) dressing change
Biweekly Inserted Central Catheters (PICC) dressing change
Procedure: peripherally inserted central catheters
peripherally inserted central catheters
Procedure: 15 days dressing change for peripherally inserted central catheters
Each 15 days dressing change for peripherally inserted central catheters

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
Number of Participants with Medical Adhesive-Related Skin Injury (MARSI)
Time Frame: - Control group: Baseline, every 1 week until 24 weeks or end of systemic treatment, whichever occurs first. - Intervention group: baseline, every 2 week until 24 weeks or end of systemic treatment, whichever occurs first.

MARSI (Medical Adhesive-Related Skin Injury): a skin injury caused by a medical adhesive, presenting as erythema and/or any other abnormal skin manifestation (vesicle, blister, erosion, or skin tear) that persists 30 minutes after the dressing has been applied or removed (10).

MARSI injury types: Erythema: redness and inflammation. Vesicle: fluid-filled sac in the outer layer of the skin <5 mm. Blister: fluid-filled sac in the outer layer of the skin >5 mm. Erosion: skin lesions characterized by the loss of the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. Skin tear: wounds in which the skin separates from its original position, often due to shear forces, friction, or blunt trauma.

Evaluation method: direct observation by the nurse

The patient will undergo a total follow-up period of 24 weeks (168 days), spanning from Inserted Central Catheters (PICC) insertion (Baseline) to catheter removal or completion of chemotherapy treatment (maximum 12 chemotherapy sessions).
- Control group: Baseline, every 1 week until 24 weeks or end of systemic treatment, whichever occurs first. - Intervention group: baseline, every 2 week until 24 weeks or end of systemic treatment, whichever occurs first.
Number of Participants with Catheter-related bloodstream infection
Time Frame: - Control group: Baseline, every 1 week until 24 weeks or end of systemic treatment, whichever occurs first. - Intervention group: baseline, every 2 week until 24 weeks or end of systemic treatment, whichever occurs first.

Assessment method: direct observation of warning signs (fever ≥ 38°C or hypothermia, severe chills and tachycardia, presence of purulent exudate, etc. ) by the nurse in charge of care. In cases of suspected infection, exit-site cultures and blood cultures are obtained.

Diagnostic criteria: 1. Catheter-related bacteremia according to VINCAT criteria (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22776147/). 2. Microorganism causing the infection (only in cases of infection) The patient will undergo a total follow-up period of 24 weeks (168 days), spanning from Inserted Central Catheters (PICC) insertion (Baseline) to catheter removal or completion of chemotherapy treatment (maximum 12 chemotherapy sessions).
- Control group: Baseline, every 1 week until 24 weeks or end of systemic treatment, whichever occurs first. - Intervention group: baseline, every 2 week until 24 weeks or end of systemic treatment, whichever occurs first.
Number of Participants with Catheter-related thrombosis
Time Frame: - Control group: Baseline, every 1 week until 24 weeks or end of systemic treatment, whichever occurs first. - Intervention group: baseline, every 2 week until 24 weeks or end of systemic treatment, whichever occurs first.

Evaluation method: direct observation of warning signs by the nurse in charge of care (pain, erythema, edema, etc.).

Diagnosed via radiology Doppler ultrasound: yes/no. Details specified: vein location, size, and anticoagulant treatment (dose and duration).

The patient will undergo a total follow-up period of 24 weeks (168 days), spanning from Inserted Central Catheters (PICC) insertion (Baseline) to catheter removal or completion of chemotherapy treatment (maximum 12 chemotherapy sessions).
- Control group: Baseline, every 1 week until 24 weeks or end of systemic treatment, whichever occurs first. - Intervention group: baseline, every 2 week until 24 weeks or end of systemic treatment, whichever occurs first.
Number of Participants with Catheter obstruction
Time Frame: - Control group: Baseline, every 1 week until 24 weeks or end of systemic treatment, whichever occurs first. - Intervention group: baseline, every 2 week until 24 weeks or end of systemic treatment, whichever occurs first.

Lack of patency to normal saline or absence of reflux. Diagnostic method: aspiration and flushing of the catheter with normal saline during standard care.

The patient will undergo a total follow-up period of 24 weeks (168 days), spanning from Inserted Central Catheters (PICC) insertion (Baseline) to catheter removal or completion of chemotherapy treatment (maximum 12 chemotherapy sessions).
- Control group: Baseline, every 1 week until 24 weeks or end of systemic treatment, whichever occurs first. - Intervention group: baseline, every 2 week until 24 weeks or end of systemic treatment, whichever occurs first.
Number of Participants with Catheter migration or externalization
Time Frame: - Control group: Baseline, every 1 week until 24 weeks or end of systemic treatment, whichever occurs first. - Intervention group: baseline, every 2 week until 24 weeks or end of systemic treatment, whichever occurs first.

Migration/externalization: >4 cm outward displacement, catheter tip non-central. Diagnostic method: direct observation by the nurse in charge during care and measurement with a sterile tape measure.

The patient will undergo a total follow-up period of 24 weeks (168 days), spanning from Inserted Central Catheters (PICC) insertion (Baseline) to catheter removal or completion of chemotherapy treatment (maximum 12 chemotherapy sessions).
- Control group: Baseline, every 1 week until 24 weeks or end of systemic treatment, whichever occurs first. - Intervention group: baseline, every 2 week until 24 weeks or end of systemic treatment, whichever occurs first.

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
Patient satisfaction with vascular access care
Time Frame: Assessment timepoints: at Inserted Central Catheters (PICC) removal
Ad hoc direct administration satisfaction questionnaire a 6-question survey regarding vascular access care using a numerical scale ranging from 0 to 10 (extremely dissatisfied / very satisfied).
Assessment timepoints: at Inserted Central Catheters (PICC) removal
Patient Quality of life
Time Frame: Assessment timepoints: baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and at Inserted Central Catheters (PICC) removal
Quality of life EORTC QLQ-C30 (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire): A self-administered scale for assessing the perception of quality of life, a 30-item psychometric test developed by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC).Scores on the EORTC QLQ-C30 scale are standardized to a range of 0 to 100 for all sections. The meaning of the score depends on the category being evaluated: Functional Scales and Global Health Status: A higher score indicates better functioning and a higher quality of life. Symptom and Difficulty Scales: A higher score indicates greater symptom severity (such as fatigue or pain) and a greater negative impact.
Assessment timepoints: baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and at Inserted Central Catheters (PICC) removal

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.
Institut Català d'Oncologia

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.
Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Girona Dr. Josep Trueta
Fundació Institut Germans Trias i Pujol

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.
June 10, 2026

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.
October 1, 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.
February 1, 2028

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).
June 22, 2026

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 6, 2026

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 13, 2026

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.
July 13, 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.
July 6, 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.
July 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.
  • ICO-MARSI-01-2025

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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