Can routine brain scans catch hidden cancer spread in stage IV breast cancer?
NCT ID NCT05115474
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Sep 16, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This study is testing whether routine brain MRIs can find brain metastases in stage IV breast cancer patients who have no neurological symptoms. Researchers will scan 170 participants at the start and again at 6 months or when their cancer first progresses. The goal is to see how often brain metastases occur in different breast cancer subtypes and whether early detection is possible.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that regular brain MRIs help find brain metastases earlier in stage IV breast cancer patients, potentially guiding treatment decisions.
- What could go wrong
- This is a phase 2 study with only 170 participants, so results may not apply to all patients. It is not testing a treatment, only screening, so it may not improve survival or quality of life.
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 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
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About 170 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Dec 2021
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2027
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: * Histologic diagnosis of breast cancer with documentation of ER/PR/HER2 status * Radiographic evidence of stage IV extracranial diease having progressed past first line therapy in HR+/HER2- patients * Radiographic evidence of stage IV extracranial disease in TN and HER2+ patients * Age ≥ 18 * Life expectancy ≥ 6 months * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0 to 2 * Patients must be able to understand and the willingness to sign an informed consent for study procedures * Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and availability for the duration of the study Exclusion Criteria: * Prior diagnosis or treatment of brain metastases or leptomeningeal disease * Patients with prior history of non-breast cancer malignancies should have no evidence of disease ≥ 2 years * Neurologic symptoms warranting standard screening brain MRI in the judgement of the treating physician at time of enrollment * Indications warranting brain MRI for other neurologic conditions at time of study entry * Contraindication towards MRI imaging with contrast * Chronic kidney disease stage IV or V or end stage renal disease
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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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Moffitt Cancer Center
ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITINGTampa, Florida, 33612, United States
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Morton Plant Mease- Baycare
RECRUITINGClearwater, Florida, 33756, United States
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