Can a stronger radiation dose fix hormone overload?
NCT ID NCT07813351
First seen Sep 10, 2026 · Last updated Sep 11, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
Researchers are testing whether a higher dose of proton beam therapy can normalise hormone levels better than standard radiotherapy in people with functioning pituitary tumours, including acromegaly and Cushing's disease. Participants receive about six weeks of either standard-dose radiotherapy or higher-dose proton beam therapy, then are followed for at least two years with hormone, tumour, and quality-of-life checks. The trial aims to see which approach brings growth hormone or ACTH levels back to normal more effectively.
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 and intensity-modulated radiation therapy
- What this could lead to
- If higher-dose proton therapy works better, it could become a more effective way to bring hormone levels back to normal for people with functioning pituitary tumours.
- What could go wrong
- The trial is small and the approach is still being tested, so it may not show a clear benefit over standard radiotherapy. Higher radiation doses also carry a risk of damaging nearby healthy tissue.
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
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Phase 3
Large-scale testing in a bigger group. Usually the last step before a treatment can be approved.
- Participants
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About 82 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2032
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.
- 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.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Neuropathological confirmation of growth hormone (acromegaly) or ACTH (Cushing's disease) secreting pituitary adenoma after neurosurgical intervention. 2. Ongoing hormonal hypersecretion as defined by local and age-specific normal range values without hormone supressing medication (may need washout). 3. Multidisciplinary team meeting recommendation for fractionated radiotherapy. 4. Karnofsky performance status ≥70. 5. Age ≥18 years. 6. Agreement to travel to a proton beam therapy centre (i.e. UCLH or The Christie) as required. 7. Written informed consent. 8. Agreement to be followed up at a local PRESTO trial site. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Women who are pregnant or breast feeding. 2. Prior cranial or head and neck radiotherapy treatment, including Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). 3. Unsuitability or intolerability of MRI scans. 4. Severe active comorbidities that limit compliance with trial requirements. 5. Prior invasive malignancy unless disease free interval of ≥3 years. 6. Unable to travel to the PBT centres as per trial requirements.
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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 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.
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