Clinical trial NCT05316922: TSH Suppression During Radiotherapy on Thyroid Site to Prevent Iatrogenic Hypothyroidism in Pediatric Cancer Patients
Official title: Protection From Iatrogenic Hypothyroidism Patients With MBL and Pediatric Patients With HL and Non-HL Needing Radiotherapy on Thyroid Site
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Phase: PHASE3
Conditions: Hypothyroidism; Irradiation
Lead sponsor: Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2022-04-07
Enrollment: 68
Sex: ALL
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: Prospective, non-blinded, randomised two cohorts study
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: To offer the possibility of a treatment that could achieve a meaningful reduction in the incidence of post-radiation therapy hypothyroidism. Thyroid dysfunction may develop from a few months to several years after patients have completed their radiation treatment. In children with chronic diseases, or given lengthy anti-neoplastic treatments, recurrent or persistent endocrine disorders may have a negative effect on growth and development into adulthood.

Detailed description: Patients will undergo basal thyroid ultrasound and FT3, FT4, TSH assay. Simulations with computed tomography, and computer assisted three-dimensional treatment planning with a dose volume histogram will be used to identify thyroid volumes and corresponding RT isodose distributions.

The enrolled patients will be randomly assigned (1:1) to TSH suppression group (experimental group) or non-TSH suppression group (control group). Random allocation will be managed centrally by Clinical epidemiology and Trial organization of the Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori. The randomization list will be generated by SAS software. Investigators and patients will not be masked to treatment allocation.

From 14 days beforehand and throughout their RT, patients in the experimental arm will receive L-thyroxine in the morning on an empty stomach (half an hour before breakfast), starting with 1-2 μg/kg, and adjusting the dose every 3 days to ensure TSH \< 0.3 μIU/mL before RT beginning. The 0.3 μIU/mL threshold is just below normal range not causing hyperthyroidism, and is defined as "mild" TSH suppression. Based on hormone status, L-thyroxine doses will be gradually increased to patients' individual minimum TSH-suppressive dose before starting RT, maintained throughout the treatment, then rapidly tapered off (half dose the next day after RT, 25% the following day and stop).

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

1. Any patient with medulloblastoma, Hodgkin/non-Hodgkin Lymphoma before radiotherapy (RT) planning including thyroid parenchyma without previous primary or secondary hypothyroidism;
2. Written informed consent prior to any study-specific analysis and/or data collection.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Any patient with medulloblastoma, Hodgkin/non-Hodgkin Lymphoma after radiotherapy including thyroid parenchyma;
2. Not signed consent.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Hypothyroidism-free survival
timeFrame: 3 years
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Milan
country: Italy
facility: Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori
Study officials:
References:
citation: Prpic M, Kruljac I, Kust D, Suton P, Purgar N, Bilos LK, Gregov M, Mrcela I, Franceschi M, Djakovic N, Frobe A. Dose-volume derived nomogram as a reliable predictor of radiotherapy-induced hypothyroidism in head and neck cancer patients. Radiol Oncol. 2019 Nov 20;53(4):488-496. doi: 10.2478/raon-2019-0055.
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citation: Massimino M, Gandola L, Collini P, Seregni E, Marchiano A, Serra A, Pignoli E, Spreafico F, Pallotti F, Terenziani M, Biassoni V, Bombardieri E, Fossati-Bellani F. Thyroid-stimulating hormone suppression for protection against hypothyroidism due to craniospinal irradiation for childhood medulloblastoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumor. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2007 Oct 1;69(2):404-10. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2007.03.028. Epub 2007 Jul 2.
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citation: Massimino M, Podda M, Gandola L, Pignoli E, Seregni E, Morosi C, Spreafico F, Ferrari A, Pecori E, Terenziani M. Long-term results of suppressing thyroid-stimulating hormone during radiotherapy to prevent primary hypothyroidism in medulloblastoma/PNET and Hodgkin lymphoma: a prospective cohort study. Front Med. 2021 Feb;15(1):101-107. doi: 10.1007/s11684-020-0752-2. Epub 2020 Aug 13.
citation: Groover TA, Christie AC, Merritt EA, Coe FO, McPeak EM. Roentgen irradiation in the treatment of hyperthyroidism: a statistical evaluation based on three hundred and five cases. JAMA 1929; 92:1730-1734.
citation: Bantle JP, Lee CK, Levitt SH. Thyroxine administration during radiation therapy to the neck does not prevent subsequent thyroid dysfunction. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 1985 Nov;11(11):1999-2002. doi: 10.1016/0360-3016(85)90283-4.