HDR Focal: Feasibility Study

June 17, 2026 updated by: University Health Network, Toronto

HDR Monotherapy for Prostate Cancer: A Feasibility Study of Focal Radiotherapy Yields

Brachytherapy as a monotherapy treatment is highly effective for localized prostate cancer, traditionally being delivered to the whole prostate gland. Lately, low dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy has been increasingly replaced by high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy treatment schemes. While brachytherapy's oncologic outcomes are excellent, it is not without incidence adverse effects including urinary, rectal, and sexual toxicities that affect the patient's quality of life.

This study will incorporate HDR monotherapy treatment option for early stages and favourable risk prostate cancer. Additionally, we aim to evaluate the role of focal HDR brachytherapy for well-defined disease based on multiparametric MRI (mpMRI). This approach may offer an option of reducing the treatment toxicities while maintaining oncologic outcomes when compared with whole-gland therapy. Advantages in quality of life could be exhibited in the form of reduced urinary discomfort and incontinence, rectal symptoms, and improved erectile and prostatic gland function.

This study would be particularly relevant in the current era of earlier localized prostate cancer detection, where newer imaging modalities (e.g. mpMRI) become a routine component of patient care.

Study Overview

Status

Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

60

Phase

  • 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

  • Canada
    • Ontario
      • Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G 2M9
        • Princess Margaret Cancer Centre

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

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age ≥ 18 years
  • ECOG performance status 0 - 2
  • Histological evidence of prostate adenocarcinoma
  • Low- and favorable intermediate-risk prostate cancer
  • Informed consent: All patients must sign a document of informed consent indicating their understanding of the investigational nature and risks of the study before any protocol related studies are performed
  • No contraindications to MRI
  • Absent or unifocal intraprostatic disease (<2 separate/distinct lesions), on multiparametric MRI
  • Baseline IPSS <18
  • No TURP within the past 6 months, nor large TURP defect
  • Absence of radiological evidence of regional or distant metastases (optional evaluation, at physician discretion)
  • No previous pelvic and/or prostate EBRT and/or brachytherapy
  • No contraindications to general anesthesia, or spinal/epidural anesthesia
  • Absence of bleeding diathesis and/or anti-coagulative therapy that cannot be temporarily ceased during brachytherapy
  • No contraindications to endorectal coil, surgically absent rectum, severe hemorrhoids or colorectal surgery
  • Negative past medical history of Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn's Disease, Ataxia Telangiectasia, or SLE (except for patients where clinician determines benefit outweighs the risk of radiation)
  • Absence of latex allergy
  • No other medical conditions deemed by the PI to make patient ineligible for prostate HDR brachytherapy

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: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Tumour visible on MRI
Targeted focal HDR Brachytherapy to dominant lesion +/- whole-gland elective dose
Radiation: targeted focal HDR brachytherapy
Active Comparator: No tumour visible on MRI
Whole-gland HDR Brachytherapy
Radiation: Whole-gland HDR Brachytherapy
Control/Standard of Care

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
number of patients achieving biochemical control
Time Frame: 2 yrs
2 yrs

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

University Health Network, Toronto

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)

October 14, 2016

Primary Completion (Estimated)

November 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 27, 2016

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 27, 2016

First Posted (Estimated)

September 28, 2016

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 22, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 17, 2026

Last Verified

June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 16-5490

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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