Anesthesia Induced Brain Cancer Survival (ABC Survival): A Feasibility Study

Status: Recruiting
Location: See location...
Intervention Type: Drug
Study Type: Interventional
Study Phase: Not Applicable
SUMMARY

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. It is estimated that approximately 55,000 Canadians are surviving with brain tumors. It is projected that around 3000 persons will be diagnosed with brain and spinal cord tumors, and approximately 75 percent patients will not survive. Out of all brain cancers, high-grade gliomas \[Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM)\] impose highest morbidity and mortality. Therefore, it is important to explore ways in which Investigators can improve and prolong the lives of patients suffering from brain cancers, particularly high-grade glioma, which is the most common and aggressive primary brain tumor. So far the Investigators know that the surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are the three corner stones management options for these patients, and majority of the research have been conducted on these three major domains. Therefore, it is imperative to explore the other variables those may impact survival characteristics. One of the integral variables of the brain cancer surgery is anesthesia. Interestingly, the role of anesthetics was explored in some other non-brain solid organ tumor surgeries. It is observed that out of the two main types of anesthesia \[one is through intravenous (propofol) and other one is gaseous (sevoflurane)\], intravenous based anesthesia maintenance regime may delay the cancer progression and prolong the recurrence free period. In addition, two very large retrospective studies with approximately 11,000 and 18,000 patients respectively, showed that as compared to gaseous (volatile anesthetics) based, intravenous (propofol) based anesthesia conferred some protection against cancer progression and was also associated with lesser overall mortality. The exact nature of these protective mechanisms is not known but in animal and other laboratory-based experiments, propofol seems to inhibit cancer formation steps, delays inflammation and provide protection from cancer cell growth. This is a feasibility study for knowing various aspects of workflow; recruitment characteristics of participants and various obstacles in implying anesthesia based protocols so that the Investigators can conduct a well-designed multicenter international randomized study.

Eligibility
Participation Requirements
Sex: All
Minimum Age: 18
Healthy Volunteers: f
View:

• Patient presenting between Jul 1, 2022 and Dec 28, 2023 for elective procedure

• Males or females of \>18 years

• Patient will be undergoing primary craniotomy (with general anesthesia) for suspected high-grade primary glial brain tumor (WHO grade III and IV)

Locations
Other Locations
Canada
Toronto Western Hospital/UHN
RECRUITING
Toronto
Contact Information
Primary
Emad Al Azazi, MD
emad.alazazi@uhn.ca
416-603-5800
Time Frame
Start Date: 2022-01-01
Estimated Completion Date: 2025-09-30
Participants
Target number of participants: 40
Treatments
Experimental: Propofol group
20 patients scheduled for the elective craniotomy for suspected high-grade gliomas resection will be enrolled and further randomized to receive total intravenous anesthesia (propofol group). Standard fasting and monitoring guidelines will be instituted. All patients will be induced and intubated after administration of intravenous boluses of fentanyl, propofol and rocuronium. For the maintenance phase of anesthesia, patients in the propofol group will receive continuous infusions of propofol and remifentanil. No patients will receive nitrous oxide.
Active_comparator: Sevoflurane group
20 patients scheduled for the elective craniotomy for suspected high-grade gliomas resection will be enrolled and further randomized to receive Volatile (sevoflurane group) agent for the maintenance phase of anesthesia. Standard fasting and monitoring guidelines will be instituted. All patients will be induced and intubated after administration of intravenous boluses of fentanyl, propofol and rocuronium. For the maintenance phase of anesthesia, patients in the volatile inhalational anesthesia group will received a volatile inhalational agent (sevoflurane) and remifentanil infusion. No patients will receive nitrous oxide.
Sponsors
Leads: University Health Network, Toronto

This content was sourced from clinicaltrials.gov