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NCT Number: NCT04239573

Comparing the Clinical Impact of Pancreatic Cyst Surveillance Programs and Associated Biomarkers

The purpose of this study is to compare two approaches for monitoring pancreatic cysts as well as to identify associated biomarkers. The study doctors want to compare more frequent monitoring versus less frequent monitoring as well as identify biomarkers which may improve risk detection of transformation to pancreatic cancer. The study doctors want to learn which monitoring method and which biomarkers lead to better outcomes for patients.

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Key information

Age range

50 year–75 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Royal Columbian Hospital, New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada

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About this study

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:

I. Evaluate whether the protocol specified primary biomarkers (both blood and imaging-based) measured at baseline, are associated with the future development of worrisome features and/or high-risk stigmata.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. Evaluate whether the imaging-based secondary biomarker implemented using baseline computed tomography (CT) scans and/or the blood-based secondary biomarker panel, is associated with the future development of worrisome features and/or high-risk stigmata.

II. Estimate area under curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, negative, and positive predictive value of each biomarker.

III. Evaluate the predictive ability of the longitudinal trajectory of each biomarker for prediction of worrisome features and/or high-risk stigmata.

IV. Develop and evaluate risk scores that combine blood-based and imaging-based markers.

V. Compare patient reported outcomes (PROs) between study arms (A and B): quality of life (QOL), financial distress, and situational anxiety.

VI. Compare 5-year total cost between arms (A and B).

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE (PRIOR TO ADDENDUM #5 08/13/2024):

I. To compare the rates of unfavorable clinical outcomes in the two arms.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES (PRIOR TO ADDENDUM #5 08/13/2024):

I. To compare rates of major surgical morbidity and/or mortality between arms. II. To compare pancreatic cancer incidence and all-cause mortality across arms. III. Compare institutional (direct) costs. IV. Compare healthcare utilization of imaging, invasive testing, surgical, and other procedures across the two surveillance arms.

V. Compare patient (out-of-pocket and other indirect) costs. VI. Describe diagnostic test and treatment pathways by arm. VII. Compare patient reports of QOL, situational anxiety. VIII. Compare patient report of financial distress. IX. Compare rates of non-adherence by arm assignment. X. To evaluate and compare the predictive performance of known and future biomarkers for dysplasia or cancer.

EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVE (PRIOR TO ADDENDUM #5 08/13/2024):

I. To evaluate and compare the predictive accuracy of known and future radiomic markers for dysplasia and pancreatic cancer.

OUTLINE: This is an observational study.

Patients undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or CT scans as well as blood sample collection throughout the trial. Patients undergo endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), fine needle aspiration (FNA), biopsy and surgery as clinically indicated.

Patients are followed up every 6 months or yearly for 5 years from the date of registration.

OUTLINE (PRIOR TO ADDENDUM #5 08/13/2024): This is an observational study. Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms.

ARM A (LOW INTENSITY SURVEILLANCE) (CLOSED TO ACCRUAL 08/13/2024): Patients undergo MRI, CT, or EUS at the beginning of the trial and MRI or CT again in 1 year. Following the first year, patients with no abnormalities repeat MRI or CT every 2 years. Patients with positive imaging features on MRI and CT at 1 or 2 years and with negative EUS, repeat MRI or CT in 1 year. Patients with negative imaging repeat MRI or CT in 2 years.

ARM B (HIGH INTENSITY SURVEILLANCE) (CLOSED TO ACCRUAL 08/13/2024): Patients undergo MRI, CT, or EUS at the beginning of the trial. Patients with >= 1 and < 2 cm cyst undergo MRI or CT every 6 months for 1 year, then every 12 months for 2 years, and then every 24 months thereafter. Patients with >= 2 and < 3 cm cyst undergo EUS within 6 months, and if EUS is negative, patients repeat MRI or CT in 1 year. If second EUS is negative, patients undergo alternate MRI or CT and EUS every 12 months. Patients with cyst >= 3 cm undergo alternate MRI or CT with EUS every 3-6 months.

All patients may also optionally undergo blood sample collection, biopsy and/or EUS-FNA on study.

After completion of imaging procedures, patients are followed up for 5 years from the date of registration.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Patient must be ≥ 50 years and ≤ 75 years of age
  • Patient must not have acute pancreatitis or a history of chronic pancreatitis
  • Patient must have received a CT, MRI, or EUS within 6 months prior to enrollment that revealed one or more ≥ 1 cm pancreatic cyst(s).
  • Patients of childbearing potential must not be known to be pregnant
  • Patient must not have a prior diagnosis of pancreatic malignancy of any type
  • Patient must not have a history of pancreatic resection
  • Patients with only pancreatic lesions without malignant risk (pancreatic pseudocyst or classic serous cystic lesion) are not eligible
  • Patient must not have a family history of pancreatic adenocarcinoma in one or more first-degree relatives (biological parents, full siblings or children)
  • Patient must not have pancreatic cyst morphology that would prompt immediate surgical consideration (enhancing mural nodule, solid component in cyst, pancreatic duct ≥ 10mm, cyst causing obstructive jaundice)
  • Patient must not have a comorbid illness that precludes EUS or pancreatic cyst resection
  • Patient must not be in any form of pancreatic cyst surveillance for > 1 year, defined as organized, periodic up-to-date imaging directed towards the pancreatic cyst of interest
  • PRIOR TO ADDENDUM #5 08/13/2024: Patient must be ≥ 50 years and ≤ 75 years of age
  • PRIOR TO ADDENDUM #5 08/13/2024: Patient must not have acute pancreatitis or a history of chronic pancreatitis.
  • PRIOR TO ADDENDUM #5 08/13/2024: Patient must have received a CT, MRI, or EUS within 6 months prior to randomization that revealed one or more ≥ 1 cm pancreatic cyst (s).
  • PRIOR TO ADDENDUM #5 08/13/2024: Patients of childbearing potential must not be known to be pregnant.
  • PRIOR TO ADDENDUM #5 08/13/2024: Patient must not have a prior diagnosis of pancreatic malignancy of any type.
  • PRIOR TO ADDENDUM #5 08/13/2024: Patient must not have a history of pancreatic resection.
  • PRIOR TO ADDENDUM #5 08/13/2024: Patients with only pancreatic lesions without malignant risk (pancreatic pseudocyst or classic serous cystic lesion) are not eligible.
  • PRIOR TO ADDENDUM #5 08/13/2024: Patient must not have a family history of pancreatic adenocarcinoma in one or more first-degree relatives (biological parents, full siblings or children).
  • PRIOR TO ADDENDUM #5 08/13/2024: Patient must not have pancreatic cyst morphology that would prompt immediate surgical consideration (enhancing mural nodule, solid component in cyst, pancreatic duct ≥10mm, cyst causing obstructive jaundice).
  • PRIOR TO ADDENDUM #5 08/13/2024: Patient must not have a comorbid illness that precludes EUS or pancreatic cyst resection.

Treatment and study plan

Biopsy Procedure

Procedure

Undergo biopsy

Other names: Biopsy, BIOPSY_TYPE, Bx

Biospecimen Collection

Procedure

Undergo blood sample collection

Other names: Biological Sample Collection, Biospecimen Collected, Sample Collection, Specimen Collection

Computed Tomography

Procedure

Undergo CT

Other names: CAT, CAT Scan, Computed Axial Tomography, Computerized Axial Tomography, Computerized axial tomography (procedure), Computerized Tomography, Computerized Tomography (CT) scan, CT, CT Scan, Diagnostic CAT Scan, Diagnostic CAT Scan Service Type, tomography

Endoscopic Ultrasound

Procedure

Undergo EUS

Other names: endosonography, EUS

Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine-Needle Aspiration

Procedure

Undergo EUS-FNA

Other names: endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration, EUS-FNA

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Procedure

Undergo MRI

Other names: Magnetic Resonance, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Magnetic resonance imaging (procedure), Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scan, Medical Imaging, Magnetic Resonance / Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, MR, MR Imaging, MRI, MRI Scan, MRIs, NMR Imaging, NMRI, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging, sMRI, Structural MRI

Quality-of-Life Assessment

Other

Ancillary studies (PRIOR TO ADDENDUM #5 08/13/2024)

Other names: Quality of Life Assessment

Questionnaire Administration

Other

Ancillary studies (PRIOR TO ADDENDUM #5 08/13/2024)

Surgical Procedure

Procedure

Undergo surgery

Other names: Operation, Surgery, Surgery Type, Surgery, NOS, Surgical, Surgical Intervention, Surgical Interventions, Surgical Procedures, Type of Surgery

Primary outcomes

  1. Time-to-finding of a worrisome feature and/or high-risk stigmata on computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

    Time frame: Up to 5 years

    Will assess the predictive performance of both primary markers separately. Time to first occurrence of worrisome features and/or high-risk stigmata will be measured from the time of baseline blood draw. Will use an overall significance level of 0.1. Will use a Bonferroni correction for multiplicity adjustment, the significance level applied to both primary biomarkers will be 0.05. Will evaluate using a two-sided log-rank test comparing time to occurrence of worrisome features and/or high-risk stigmata between the marker-positive and marker-negative subgroups. Will visually summarize time to occurrence of worrisome features and/or high-risk stigmata in both maker positive and marker negative using Kaplan-Meier curves. All biomarkers will come in with a predetermined threshold for determining marker positivity (as defined in their respective publications). The primary imaging marker is for MRI, the analysis of this biomarker will be restricted to participants with a pre-enrollment MRI.

  2. Occurrence of an "unfavorable" outcome (PRIOR TO ADDENDUM #5 08/13/2024)

    Time frame: Up to 5 years

    Defined as a composite of: (1) any pancreatic cancer without surgery; (2) unresectable pancreatic cancer or cancer > T1a, N0 at surgery, and (3) benign disease at surgery will be approached from the intent-to-treat perspective. Time to the first occurrence of the primary endpoint will be measured from randomization. Survival analysis methods will be used to estimate and compare distributions of time to an unfavorable event between the study arms. In particular Kaplan-Meier estimates will be developed for each arm and a log rank test will be used to compare the two arms.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Finding of a worrisome feature and/or high-risk stigmata on CT or MRI

    Time frame: Up to 5 years

    Will evaluate with the analog analysis plan.

  2. Situational anxiety

    Time frame: Up to 5 years

    Will be measured using the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Anxiety 4-item short form. The analysis group will be the patients recruited prior to the activation of addendum #5 and randomized to either high or low intensity surveillance. A hierarchical strategy will be used. Will compare situational anxiety between arms with a two-sample unequal-variance t-test.

  3. Overall quality of life

    Time frame: Up to 5 years

    Will be measured using the PROMIS-10. The analysis group will be the patients recruited prior to the activation of addendum #5 and randomized to either high or low intensity surveillance. A hierarchical strategy will be used. Will compare quality of life between arms with a two-sample unequal-variance t-test.

  4. Financial distress

    Time frame: Up to 5 years

    Will be measured using the Comprehensive Score for Financial Toxicity measure. The analysis group will be the patients recruited prior to the activation of addendum #5 and randomized to either high or low intensity surveillance. Will compare financial distress between arms with a two-sample unequal-variance t-test.

  5. Cost

    Time frame: Up to 5 years

    Will evaluate the sum of Medicare reimbursement for all the healthcare utilization. Will compare total cost between arms. The analysis group will be the patients recruited prior to the activation of addendum #5 and randomized to either high or low intensity surveillance. The distribution of the cost will be examined. If it is approximately normal, then the cost between the arms will be compared using a t-test. Also, the variance in the cost will be compared to assess if it differs between the arms. If distribution is particularly skewed a transformation will be sought, and the comparison will be analyzed on that scale.

  6. Surgical and all-cause mortality (PRIOR TO ADDENDUM #5 08/13/2024)

    Time frame: Up to 5 years

    Rates of major surgical morbidity and/or mortality will be estimated and compared across arms. All-cause mortality will be estimated and compared between the arms using log rank tests.

  7. Major surgical morbidity (PRIOR TO ADDENDUM #5 08/13/2024)

    Time frame: Up to 5 years

    Rates of major surgical morbidity and/or mortality will be estimated and compared across arms.

  8. Pancreatic cancer incidence (PRIOR TO ADDENDUM #5 08/13/2024)

    Time frame: Up to 5 years

    Pancreatic-cancer incidence and pancreatic cancer specific mortality will be estimated and compared between the arms using log rank tests.

  9. Institutional (direct) costs (PRIOR TO ADDENDUM #5 08/13/2024)

    Time frame: Up to 5 years

    Will compare between two arms.

  10. Healthcare utilization of imaging, invasive testing, surgical, and other procedures (PRIOR TO ADDENDUM #5 08/13/2024)

    Time frame: Up to 5 years

    Will compare between two arms.

  11. Patient (out-of-pocket and other indirect) costs (PRIOR TO ADDENDUM #5 08/13/2024)

    Time frame: Up to 5 years

    Will compare between two arms.

  12. Diagnostic test and treatment pathways (PRIOR TO ADDENDUM #5 08/13/2024)

    Time frame: Up to 5 years

    Will describe diagnostic test and treatment pathways by arm.

  13. Patient reports of quality of life (PRIOR TO ADDENDUM #5 08/13/2024)

    Time frame: Up to 5 years

    Will be assessed by Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System10. Will compare between arms. Longitudinal regression modelling will be completed to account for the repeated assessments over time.

  14. Patient reports of situational anxiety (PRIOR TO ADDENDUM #5 08/13/2024)

    Time frame: Up to 5 years

    Will be assessed by Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-Anxiety short form. Will compare between arms.

  15. Patient report of financial distress (PRIOR TO ADDENDUM #5 08/13/2024)

    Time frame: Up to 5 years

    Will compare between arms.

  16. Rates of non-adherence (PRIOR TO ADDENDUM #5 08/13/2024)

    Time frame: Up to 5 years

    Will compare rates of non-adherence by arm assignment.

  17. Biomarker analysis (PRIOR TO ADDENDUM #5 08/13/2024)

    Time frame: Up to 5 years

    Will evaluate and compare the predictive performance of known and future biomarkers for dysplasia or cancer.

Other outcomes

  1. Predictive accuracy of radiomic markers for dysplasia and pancreatic cancer (PRIOR TO ADDENDUM #5 08/13/2024)

    Time frame: Up to 5 years

    Will evaluate and compare the predictive accuracy of known and future radiomic markers for dysplasia and pancreatic cancer.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group

Network

Collaborators

  • National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2020
Primary completion
2030
Study completion
2031
First posted
Jan 27, 2020
Registry last updated
Jun 17, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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