IBD Neoplasia Surveillance Pilot RCT (IBDDysplasia)

Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Status: Completed

Conditions: Dysplasia; Colonic Neoplasms; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Treatments: Diagnostic Test: Intervention Group; Diagnostic Test: Control Group

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04067778

20190428-01T

Details and patient eligibility

About

To determine if random biopsies can be safely eliminated from screening of average risk persons with IBD, the investigators propose to carry out a pilot randomized control trial in which targeted biopsies in combination with random biopsies will be compared to targeted biopsies alone in terms of pre-cancerous lesion capture rate, side-effects and CRC risk. The pilot study will aim to capture 20% of the overall study population in order to evaluate the feasibility of recruiting the needed number of participants in the specified time frame, while maintaining high quality of data collection.

Full description

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), including crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, is a group of diseases characterized by acute and chronic inflammation of the intestinal tract. Persons with IBD are at an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC) and require frequent CRC screening with colonoscopy. Current IBD screening guidelines recommend the taking of biopsies of any lesions suspected to be pre-cancerous (targeted biopsies), as well as the taking of 30 to 40 random biopsies throughout the colon. The recommendations for random biopsies are based on historical practice and the theory that they would capture "invisible lesions", but are not supported by strong scientific evidence.

In fact, recent evidence has shown that random biopsies capture a very small number of pre-cancerous lesions and that they capture such lesions only in persons with additional risk factors for CRC. In addition, new colonoscopy practices and technology have made 80-90% of pre-cancerous lesions visible. Random biopsies also carry potential risks for patients, including lower gastrointestinal bleeding and bowel perforation, and substantially increase procedural costs and time.

Hence, there is a strong impetus to conduct a well-powered non-inferiority Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) on this topic in a Canadian setting. With the support of a pan-Canadian IBD clinical trials alliance (the Canadian IBD Research Consortium (CIRC)), and the high prevalence of IBD in Canada, Canadian investigators are well-positioned to undertake such a trial. Before embarking on a large multi-center trial, a one-year pilot feasibility trial will be conducted to ensure that patients can be enrolled efficiently with excellent protocol compliance. A feasibility trial will also provide a crude estimate of the neoplasia detection rate (primary outcome) among persons with colon IBD (cIBD) in Canada, which will allow refinement of the sample size, recruitment period and budget for a definitive trial. To-date, no well-powered or North American RCTs have evaluated random biopsies as an intervention to guide our estimates for a definitive trial.

Enrollment: 600 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• ≥ 18 years old

• Historical endoscopic/histologic disease extending beyond the rectum in UC or involving ≥ 1/3 of colorectum in CD

• > 50% of colon present, with remaining colon meeting above minimum criteria for disease extent (beyond rectum in UC, ≥1/3 colorectum in CD

• cIBD ≥ 8 years duration (or at any time after diagnosis if a patient also has primary sclerosing cholangitis)

• In symptomatic remission at time of colonoscopy

  • For CD: Harvey-Bradshaw Index < 541
  • For UC or IBDU: Partial Mayo Score ≤ 242

• Major purpose of colonoscopy is neoplasia screening/surveillance

• Undergoing colonoscopy with high-definition white light endoscopy

Exclusion criteria

• Persons who cannot or are unwilling to provide informed consent
• Persons with a history of colorectal cancer
• Persons with prior subtotal or total colectomy (> 50% of colon removed)
• Persons undergoing colonoscopy to follow-up on recently diagnosed neoplasia identified within the past year
• Persons undergoing pancolonic chromoendoscopy
• Colon mucosa visibility deemed inadequate for surveillance after washing/suctioning (Boston Bowel Preparation Score of 0 or 1 in any segment)
• Incomplete colonoscopy (unable to reach cecum)
• Moderate-to-severe inflammation (Mayo 2-3) involving ≥ 25% of colorectum or mild inflammation (Mayo 1) involving ≥ 50% of colorectum

Trial design

Primary purpose: Diagnostic

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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600 participants in 2 patient groups

Intervention Group

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will undergo standard colonoscopy as part of their routine IBD surveillance. During this colonoscopy targeted biopsies (biopsies of any pre-cancerous lesions observed by the doctor) and/or removal of any polyps will be undertaken.

Treatment:

Diagnostic Test: Intervention Group

Control Group

Other group

Description:

Participants will undergo standard colonoscopy as part of their routine IBD surveillance. During this colonoscopy both random (approximately 32 to 40) and targeted biopsies (and/or removal of any polyps) will be undertaken.

Treatment:

Diagnostic Test: Control Group