EMLA Topical Cream for Treatment of Pain in Patients Receiving Intra-Dermal Technetium 99 Injections for Lymphoscintigraphy for Skin Cancers

Investigating the Use of EMLA Topical Cream for Patients Receiving Intra-Dermal Technetium 99 Injections for Lymphoscintigraphy for Cutaneous Cancers

This phase II trial tests how well EMLA topical cream works in treating pain in patients with skin cancers receiving Technetium 99 injections for a lymphoscintigraphy mapping procedure. A lymphoscintigraphy mapping procedure is used to find the main or lead lymph node (tissue that fight infection) so it can be removed and checked for tumor cells. Using lymphoscintigraphy to highlight and then surgically remove lymph nodes is standard way to treat skin cancer for many patients. The Technetium 99 injections used for lymphoscintigraphy can be briefly painful due to the sensitivity of the nerve endings in the skin. The EMLA topical cream, which contains a numbing medicine to block pain from nerve endings, has been studied in breast cancer patients with a difference in pain reported, but this is the first time it has been studied in patients undergoing lymphoscintigraphy for skin cancer. This study may help researchers learn whether the use of EMLA cream may improve the associated pain at the time of the lymphoscintigraphy procedure.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Merkel Cell Carcinoma; Cutaneous Melanoma; Skin Squamous Cell Carcinoma
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Questionnaire Administration; Drug: Placebo Administration; Drug: Eutectic Mixture of Local Anesthetics

Detailed Description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:

I. Evaluate if the application of eutectic mixture of local anesthetics (EMLA) topical cream (2.5% lidocaine mixed with 2.5% prilocaine) prior to intra-dermal Technetium 99 sulfur colloid (Tc99 injection) for lymphoscintigraphy can improve associated pain.

OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 cohorts.

COHORT 1: Patients apply EMLA cream topically to skin 30 minutes prior to Tc99 lymphoscintigraphy procedure.

COHORT 2: Patients apply placebo cream topically to skin 30 minutes prior to Tc99 lymphoscintigraphy procedure.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 100
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center; Phone Number: 800-293-5066; Email: OSUCCCClinicaltrials@osumc.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Ohio
    • Columbus, Ohio, United States, 43210
      • Recruiting
      • Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center
      • Contact: Carlo M. Contreras, MD; Phone Number: 614-366-3681; Email: Carlo.Contreras@osumc.edu
      • Principal Investigator: Carlo M. Contreras, MD

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Biologic males or females
• 18 - 99 years of age
• Histologically confirmed cutaneous melanoma, Merkel cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, or other cutaneous malignancy for which lymphoscintigraphy and sentinel lymph node biopsy has been recommended.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Known allergy or intolerance to EMLA cream, lidocaine, prilocaine, or any other local anesthetic
• History of adhesive allergy
• Contraindication to Tc99 injection for sentinel lymph node mapping
• Incarcerated patients
• Patients incapable of independently providing consent
• Mucosal or genital lymphoscintigraphy site
• Pregnancy
• Participant self-declared or Ohio State University (OSU) medical chart listing chronic pain as a pre-existing diagnosis
• Participants with chronic pain as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):"pain lasting 3 months or more that can be caused by a disease or condition, injury, medical treatment, or unknown reason" excluding those with stable co-morbid conditions such as peripheral neuropathy, fibromyalgia, arthritis, and cancer-related pain who do not require narcotics. Patients who require narcotics at any time within the 7-day period leading up to the procedure

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Placebo Comparator: Cohort 2 (placebo cream); Patients apply placebo cream topically to skin 30 minutes prior to Tc99 lymphoscintigraphy procedure.	Other: Questionnaire Administration; Ancillary studies; Drug: Placebo Administration; Apply topically to skin
Experimental: Cohort 1 (EMLA cream); Patients apply EMLA cream topically to skin 30 minutes prior to Tc99 lymphoscintigraphy procedure.	Other: Questionnaire Administration; Ancillary studies; Drug: Eutectic Mixture of Local Anesthetics; Apply topically to skin; Other Names: EMLA; Lidocaine-Prilocaine Eutectic Mixture; Lidocaine/Prilocaine; Oraqix

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Pain score	Pain will be measured on a Defense and Veterans Pain Rating 10-point scale where 1 is the lowest measure of pain, and 10 is the highest pain. Will be analyzed using an independent samples t-test to compare the mean pain score of the two cohorts. Descriptive statistics of patient demographics and adverse events will also be reported.	Up to 1 year

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Incidence of adverse events	Reported side effects will be recorded and compared between the two groups using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 5.0.	30 minutes after lymphoscintigraphy injection

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Carlo M Contreras, MD, Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• The Jamesline

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): December 19, 2023
• Primary Completion (Estimated): October 31, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): October 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 2, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 16, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): January 25, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 10, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 7, 2026
• Last Verified: March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neoplasms by Site; Neoplasms; Infections; Virus Diseases; Neoplasms by Histologic Type; Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial; Adenocarcinoma; DNA Virus Infections; Skin Diseases; Carcinoma; Neuroectodermal Tumors; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal; Neoplasms, Nerve Tissue; Neuroendocrine Tumors; Tumor Virus Infections; Nevi and Melanomas; Skin Neoplasms; Polyomavirus Infections; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases; Melanoma; Carcinoma, Merkel Cell; Organic Chemicals; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Anilides; Amides; Aniline Compounds; Amines; Acetanilides; Drug Combinations; Lidocaine; Prilocaine; Lidocaine, Prilocaine Drug Combination
• Other Study ID Numbers: OSU-23046; NCI-2023-10465 (Registry Identifier: CTRP (Clinical Trial Reporting Program))

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: Yes
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No