Impact of Positron Emission Tomography Imaging Prior to Liver Resection for Colorectal Adenocarcinoma Metastases (PETCAM)

Ontario Clinical Oncology Group (OCOG)

Status and phase

Completed

Phase 3

Conditions

Liver Metastases

Colorectal Cancer

Treatments

Procedure: PET diagnostic imaging

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT00265356

CTA-Control-098389

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this trial is to improve the management of patients with potentially surgically curable colorectal cancer liver metastases.

The primary objective is to determine the impact of pre-operative positron emission tomography (PET) on patients who have been assessed as having resectable colorectal cancer liver metastases by conventional imaging (computed tomography (CT) abdomen/thorax, colonoscopy), by determining the proportion of patients who have a change in management resulting from PET.

Full description

Colorectal cancer remains a leading cause of death in men and women. A significant number of patients with colorectal cancer will either present with, or subsequently develop, liver metastases. In contrast to many other epithelial solid tumours, resection of colorectal cancer hepatic metastases results in long-term survival and even cure. However, despite state of the art CT imaging, 60-75% of patients who appear to have limited disease amenable to surgical resection will eventually die from extra-hepatic and recurrent hepatic metastases. If occult micrometastatic disease that becomes evident after liver resection could be detected reliably during pre-operative assessment, patients harboring more widespread disease could be spared a non-curative liver resection. This is one of the present challenges of liver surgery. PET imaging has the potential to improve the detection of both hepatic and extra-hepatic metastatic disease, not detected by conventional imaging modalities.

This prospective, multicenter trial will enroll patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases considered resectable, based on CT scans of the thorax, abdomen and pelvis, which demonstrate no evidence of extra-hepatic disease. A full colonoscopy within the preceding 12 months will ensure there is no local recurrence, or other primary cancer at the time of planned liver resection. These patients will be randomized to PET scan or not.

Enrollment

404 patients

Sex

All

Ages

18+ years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Histologic proof of previous colorectal adenocarcinoma (not carcinoid, squamous cell cancer, gastrointestinal stromal tumor, or lymphoma)
Contrast-enhanced spiral CT scan of the thorax, and a tri-phasic CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis performed within 30 days (plus up to 14 days) before randomization demonstrating resectable metastasis(es) that are isolated to the liver
Full colonoscopy performed within the preceding 18 months showing no evidence of malignancy (other than a synchronous colorectal primary expected to be removed at time of liver resection)
Age over 18 years

Exclusion criteria

Extrahepatic disease including enlarged portal lymph nodes on CT
Prior liver resection
Previous radiofrequency ablation of malignant liver lesion
Systemic chemotherapy within three weeks prior to randomization
Radiotherapy within two months prior to randomization
Significant concurrent medical problems (e.g., uncontrolled diabetes, active cardiac disease, significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) making the patient unfit for surgery
Pregnant or lactating female
Unable to lie supine for imaging with PET
Previously treated cancer other than non-melanocytic skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix, unless disease-free for 5 years or greater
Patients who, at the time of the initial evaluation, have already undergone a whole body PET within 6 months prior to randomization