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3D nerve map could help surgeons spare function during prostate removal

NCT ID NCT07847385

Diagnosis Sponsor: Massimo Valerio Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 29, 2026 · Last updated Sep 30, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers are testing a non-invasive MRI technique called diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to create a personalized 3D map of the nerves around the prostate. The study enrolls 23 men with prostate cancer who are scheduled for radical prostatectomy. Before surgery, participants receive a DTI scan to build the nerve map, which surgeons then overlay onto the surgical view as a visual guide. Six months after surgery, participants have another scan to compare nerve changes with their erectile and urinary function. The goal is to see whether this imaging approach can help preserve nerves and improve outcomes.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
prostate tractography, a 3D MRI-based nerve mapping procedure
What this could lead to
If it works, surgeons could use a personalized 3D nerve map during prostate removal to spare the nerves that control erections and urination, potentially improving quality of life after surgery.
What could go wrong
This is a small pilot study with 23 participants, so it may not show a clear link between the nerve images and real-world erectile or urinary function. The imaging technique is complex and may not work reliably in every patient.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 23 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Sep 2026

Expected to finish

Apr 2028

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Male participants only

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Histological confirmed diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa) based on prostate biopsy * Multidisciplinary indication for radical prostatectomy, validated by the Urology Tumor Board * No prior treatment of prostate cancer * Capacity to provide informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Unwillingness to participate. * Pre-existing impaired sexual function before surgery (IIEF5 Score of ≤21) * Diagnosis of neuropathy * Inability to comply with study procedure (e.g. due to language barriers, psychological disorders, dementia, anxiety/claustrophobia during pelvic MRI etc.) or medical contraindications to MRI

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

erectile dysfunction prostate cancer

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Erectile dysfunction following radical prostatectomy Prostate cancer Urinary incontinence following surgical procedure

How to take part

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  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève - Dept de Chirurgie - Service d'Urologie

    RECRUITING

    Geneva, Canton of Geneva, 1205, Switzerland

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