Circulating Tumor DNA (ctDNA) in High Grade Upper Tract Urothelial Cancer (UTUC)

August 27, 2026 updated by: Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins

Exploring the Use of Tumor Informed Circulating Tumor DNA (ctDNA) in High Grade Upper Tract Urothelial Cancer (UTUC)

The study will evaluate the feasibility of collecting ctDNA data for UTUC patients in perioperative setting and if the data generated can help with design of future prospective trials for perioperative therapy in UTUC.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet 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 study will provide contemporary data for patients with UTUC in the perioperative setting that is unanticipated to become available through large interventional trials. Preliminary data from this study could inform future prospective trials aimed at intensifying or de-intensifying perioperative therapy in UTUC. The study will assess 1) the feasibility of obtaining tumor informed ctDNA on the Signatera platform in patients with High Grade Upper Tract Urothelial Cancer (HG UTUC) planned for systemic therapy and or surgical intervention, 2) if perioperative ctDNA dynamics in UTUC correlate with pathologic and clinical outcomes in patients with UTUC who proceed to surgery or renal preservation following induction therapy and or surgery, and 3) if perioperative ctDNA dynamics in UTUC are prognostic for survival estimates as they are in muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Preliminary data from this study may also support clinical decisions of renal retention in patients treated with chemotherapy who chose to defer surgery.

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.
20

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
    • Maryland
      • Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21287
        • Johns Hopkins University: Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Jeannie Hoffman-Censtis, MD

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

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

HG UTUC patients planned for systemic therapy and or surgical intervention that will have sequential ctDNA ordered as per standard Signatera testing (approved for patients with high risk urothelial cancer undergoing immunotherapy or in perioperative setting).

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • HG UTUC patients planned for systemic therapy and or surgical intervention that will have ctDNA Signatera testing.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • UTUC patients without high grade disease that is not planned for either systemic therapy or surgical intervention and not planned to have ctDNA Signatera testing.

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

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
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.
High Grade (HG) Upper Tract Urothelial Cancer (UTUC)
Patients HG UTUC planned for systemic therapy and or surgical intervention will be recruited and have sequential ctDNA ordered as per standard Signatera testing (approved for patients with high risk urothelial cancer undergoing immunotherapy or in perioperative setting) at or close to baseline, every 4-6 weeks on treatment, before and after surgical intervention, on surveillance and or adjuvant therapy.
Diagnostic test: Signatera testing
Standard Signatera testing for ctDNA at or close to baseline, every 4-6 weeks on treatment, before and after surgical intervention, on surveillance and or adjuvant therapy.

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
Percent of of tumor informed ctDNA test results on Signatera platform available
Time Frame: until end of surveillance or adjuvant therapy, approximately 5 years
Percent of ctDNA results available at the protocol specified timepoints.
until end of surveillance or adjuvant therapy, approximately 5 years
Correlation between perioperative ctDNA dynamics in UTUC with pathologic and clinical outcomes in patients with UTUC who proceed to surgery or renal preservation following induction therapy and or surgery
Time Frame: Up to approximately 5 years
Measured at or close to baseline, q4-6 weeks on treatment, before and after surgical intervention, on surveillance and or adjuvant therapy, approximately 5 years
Up to approximately 5 years
Number of patients with ctDNA decline to zero and radiographic complete response after treatment
Time Frame: until end of surveillance or adjuvant therapy, approximately 5 years
Number of patients with ctDNA decline to zero post-treatment with complete response per RECIST 1.1.
until end of surveillance or adjuvant therapy, approximately 5 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.
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins

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: Jeannie Hoffman-Censits, MD, Johns Hopkins 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 (Estimated)

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, 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, 2028

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.
October 1, 2029

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).
August 25, 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.
August 25, 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.
August 28, 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.
September 1, 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.
August 27, 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.
August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

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.
  • IRB00569996

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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