Brain scans may predict memory problems after radiation for brain tumors
NCT ID NCT04073966
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Aug 14, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study uses special MRI scans to see how radiation treatment affects the brain's white matter and thinking skills in people with cancer that has spread to the brain. Researchers will follow 15 patients to find early signs of memory or concentration problems. The goal is to better understand these side effects so doctors can reduce them in the future.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this study could help doctors predict and reduce memory and thinking problems after brain radiation.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small pilot study with only 15 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. It is observational, meaning it does not test a new treatment.
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.
- Participants
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About 20 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Dec 2019
- Expected to finish
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May 2029
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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.
Who is studied
Patients with newly diagnosed brain metastasis being treated with SRS.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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: * Histologic diagnosis of cancer * Newly diagnosed brain metastasis being treated with SRS. Any extent of cranial disease permitted. Subsequent courses of SRS while on study permitted when clinically indicated. * Patients are permitted to have undergone craniotomy and resection of metastasis/metastases if at least 1 other intact metastasis planned for definitive SRS is present. Receiving or previously received systemic therapy also permitted. * Anticipated life expectancy at least 1 year * Age ≥ 18 years * Ability to read and comprehend written English and follow instructions in English * Ability to provide informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Previous radiation to the brain or head * Previous malignancy - other than non-melanomatous skin cancer or cervical carcinoma in situ - and not disease-free for at least 3 years * Previous severe head or brain injury * History of a neurological disorder such as Epilepsy, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, or Dementia * Prisoners
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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
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University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Radiation Oncology
RECRUITINGChapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Tiny gadolinium particles aim to make brain radiation hit harder
- A sharper MRI could reveal radiation sensitivity of brain tumors
- Expert tumor board may extend survival in brain metastases
- Can a new pill outsmart lung cancer in the brain?