Proton beam therapy tested for rare spine and skull base tumors
NCT ID NCT01449149
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested proton beam therapy in 54 adults with chordomas or chondrosarcomas, rare tumors of the skull base and spine. The goal was to see if this precise radiation approach is feasible and safe, and to track both short- and long-term side effects. Researchers monitored how well patients tolerated treatment and whether serious side effects occurred within 90 days or later.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Proton beam therapy
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that proton therapy is a safe and effective way to treat chordomas and chondrosarcomas, potentially improving tumor control with fewer side effects.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase study with only 54 participants. It focuses on feasibility and safety, not yet proving long-term effectiveness. There is still a risk of serious side effects or the treatment not working as hoped.
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
-
54 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Mar 2010
- Finished
-
Sep 2025
- 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
-
Anyone
- 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 Hide 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: * Histologically confirmed diagnosis of chordoma or chondrosarcoma. * Patients must have no evidence of metastatic disease based on routine imaging (CT or MRI of the chest/abdomen/pelvis, bone scan, etc.) * Patients must have an ECOG score equal to or less than 2. * Age ≥ 18 years. * Patients must be able to provide informed consent. * Adequate bone marrow function: WBC ≥ 4000/mm3, platelets ≥ 100, 000mm3 * Women of child-bearing potential as long as she agrees to use a recognized method of birth control (e.g. oral contraceptive , IUD, condoms or other barrier methods etc.) Hysterectomy or menopause must be clinically documented. * Tumors arising in the skull and spine. Exclusion Criteria: * Prior or simultaneous malignancies within the past two years (other than cutaneous squamous or basal cell carcinoma, melanoma in situ or thyroid carcinoma) * Patients with the following histologies are excluded: melanoma , other soft tissue or bony sarcomas, giant cell tumor aneurismal bone cyst or metastatic lesions from other histologies. * Pregnant women. * Actively being treated on any other therapeutic research study. * Tumors arising outside of the CNS.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Chondrosarcomas are added.
By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.