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Updated May 2026 · ClinicalTrials.gov

RECRUITINGPhase 3INTERVENTIONAL

Stereotactic Radiosurgery Compared With Hippocampal-Avoidant Whole Brain Radiotherapy (HA-WBRT) Plus Memantine for 5 or More Brain Metastases

A Phase III Trial of Stereotactic Radiosurgery Compared With Hippocampal-Avoidant Whole Brain Radiotherapy (HA-WBRT) Plus Memantine for 5 or More Brain Metastases

Stereotactic Radiosurgery Compared With Hippocampal-Avoidant Whole Brain Radiotherapy (HA-WBRT) Plus Memantine for 5 or More Brain Metastases (NCT03550391) is a Phase 3 interventional studying Brain Metastases, sponsored by Canadian Cancer Trials Group. RECRUITING as of the most recent ClinicalTrials.gov update. Talk to your doctor before contacting the trial site.

Important: This information is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.

About This Trial

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a commonly used treatment for brain tumors. It is a one-day (or in some cases two day), out-patient procedure during which a high dose of radiation is delivered to small spots in the brain while excluding the surrounding normal brain. Whole brain radiation therapy with hippocampal avoidance (HA-WBRT) is when radiation therapy is given to the whole brain, while trying to decrease the amount of radiation that is delivered to the area of the hippocampus. The hippocampus is a brain structure that is important for memory. Memantine is a drug that is given to help relieve symptoms that can be caused by WBRT, including problems with memory and other mental symptoms. Health Canada, the regulatory body that oversees the use of drugs in Canada, has not approved the sale or use of memantine in combination with WBRT to treat this kind of cancer, although they have allowed its use in this study.

What Stage of Research Is This?

Phase 3 trials confirm efficacy and safety in large patient groups (often 300–3,000+) and form the evidence base for an FDA approval submission. For Brain Metastases, Phase 3 studies typically randomize participants between the investigational treatment and either a placebo or current standard of care. A successful Phase 3 result is the threshold most treatments need to clear before regulatory approval.

This trial is currently recruiting participants. The sponsor has registered the study with ClinicalTrials.gov as actively enrolling, which means new applicants who meet the eligibility criteria can be considered for screening. Trial status can change between updates — confirm current recruiting status with the study contact before traveling for a screening visit.

Target enrollment of 206 participants puts this in the typical range for a Phase 2-style efficacy study or a moderate Phase 3 trial in a focused Brain Metastases subpopulation. At this scale, the study has enough statistical power to detect a clear treatment effect but is not the largest cohort in the field.

Who May Be Eligible (Plain English)

Who May Qualify: - Patients must have 5 or more brain metastases as counted on a T1 contrast enhanced MRI obtained ≤ 30 days from randomization (maximum 15 brain metastases). - Patients must have a pathological diagnosis (cytological or histological) of a non-hematopoietic malignancy. - The largest brain metastasis must measure \<2.5 cm in maximal diameter. - Centre must have the ability to treat patients with either a Gamma Knife, Cyberknife, or a linear accelerator-based radiosurgery system. - Patient must be \> 18 years of age. - Patient is able (i.e. sufficiently fluent) and willing to complete the quality of life questionnaires in either English or French either alone or with assistance. - You should be able to carry out daily activities with 0 level of ability (ECOG 0), 1, or 2. - Creatinine clearance must be ≥ 30 ml/min within 28 days prior to registration. - The Neurocognitive Testing examiner must have credentialing confirming completion of the neurocognitive testing training. - Facility is credentialed by IROC to perform SRS and HA-WBRT. The treating centre must have completed stereotactic radiosurgery credentialing of the specific system(s) to be used in study patients. The treating centre must have completed IMRT credintialing of this specific IMRT systems to be used in study patients for the purposes of HA-WBRT. - Patient consent must be appropriately obtained in accordance with applicable local and regulatory requirements. Each patient must sign a consent form prior to enrolment in the trial to document their willingness to participate. - A similar process must be followed for sites outside of Canada as per their respective cooperative group's procedures. - Patients must be accessible for treatment and follow-up. Investigators must assure themselves the patients randomized on this trial will be available for complete documentation of the treatment, adverse events, and follow-up. ...See full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov Always talk to your doctor about whether this trial is right for you.

These are translations of the protocol\'s inclusion and exclusion criteria, simplified for patients and caregivers. The original clinical text appears below. Eligibility is ultimately confirmed by the trial site\'s screening process — this summary is a starting point for a conversation with your doctor, not a final determination.

Original Eligibility Criteria

View original clinical language
Inclusion Criteria: * Patients must have 5 or more brain metastases as counted on a T1 contrast enhanced MRI obtained ≤ 30 days from randomization (maximum 15 brain metastases). * Patients must have a pathological diagnosis (cytological or histological) of a non-hematopoietic malignancy. * The largest brain metastasis must measure \<2.5 cm in maximal diameter. * Centre must have the ability to treat patients with either a Gamma Knife, Cyberknife, or a linear accelerator-based radiosurgery system. * Patient must be \> 18 years of age. * Patient is able (i.e. sufficiently fluent) and willing to complete the quality of life questionnaires in either English or French either alone or with assistance. * ECOG performance status 0, 1, or 2. * Creatinine clearance must be ≥ 30 ml/min within 28 days prior to registration. * The Neurocognitive Testing examiner must have credentialing confirming completion of the neurocognitive testing training. * Facility is credentialed by IROC to perform SRS and HA-WBRT. The treating centre must have completed stereotactic radiosurgery credentialing of the specific system(s) to be used in study patients. The treating centre must have completed IMRT credintialing of this specific IMRT systems to be used in study patients for the purposes of HA-WBRT. * Patient consent must be appropriately obtained in accordance with applicable local and regulatory requirements. Each patient must sign a consent form prior to enrolment in the trial to document their willingness to participate. * A similar process must be followed for sites outside of Canada as per their respective cooperative group's procedures. * Patients must be accessible for treatment and follow-up. Investigators must assure themselves the patients randomized on this trial will be available for complete documentation of the treatment, adverse events, and follow-up. * In accordance with CCTG policy, protocol treatment is to begin within 14 days of patient enrolment. * Women/men of childbearing potential must have agreed to use a highly effective contraceptive method. Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnant or nursing women. * Men or women of childbearing potential who are unwilling to employ adequate contraception. * Inability to complete a brain MRI. * Known allergy to gadolinium. * Prior cranial radiation therapy. * Planned cytotoxic chemotherapy within 48 hours prior or after the SRS or HA-WBRT. * Primary germ cell tumour, small cell carcinoma, or lymphoma. * Widespread definitive leptomeningeal metastasis. This includes cranial nerve palsy, leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, ependymal involvement, cranial nerve involvement on imaging, suspicious linear meningeal enhancement, or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) positive for tumour cells. * A brain metastasis that is located ≤ 5 mm of the optic chiasm or either optic nerve. * Surgical resection of a brain metastasis (stereotactic biopsies will be allowed). * More than 15 brain metastases on a volumetric T1 contrast MRI (voxels of 1mm or smaller) performed within the past 14 days, or more than 10 metastases in the case of a non-volumetric MRI. * Prior allergic reaction to memantine. * Current alcohol or drug abuse. * Current use of NMDA antagonists, such as amantadine, ketamine, or dextromethorphan. * Diagnosis of chronic liver disease/cirrhosis of the liver (e.g. Child-Pugh class B or C). * Patients with architectural distortion of lateral ventricular systems, which, in the opinion of the local investigator, makes hippocampal delineation challenging

Treatments Being Tested

DRUG

Memantine

20 mg (10 mg divided twice daily). Dose will be escalated by 5 mg per week. Memantine should start at 5 mg, and then increased in 5 mg increments at the following schedule, depending on the patient's response and tolerance:

RADIATION

Hippocampal-avoidant (HA-WBRT) Radiotherapy

30Gy in 10 fractions

PROCEDURE

Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS)

18-20 or 22 Gy in single fraction

Locations (20)

Trial sites listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for this study. Site activation status can vary — confirm with the specific site before traveling for a screening visit.

University of Arizona Cancer Center-Orange Grove Campus
Tucson, Arizona, United States
University of Arizona Cancer Center-North Campus
Tucson, Arizona, United States
City of Hope Corona
Corona, California, United States
City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center
Duarte, California, United States
City of Hope at Irvine Lennar
Irvine, California, United States
UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center
La Jolla, California, United States
City of Hope Antelope Valley
Lancaster, California, United States
UC Irvine Health/Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
Orange, California, United States
Kaiser Permanente-Rancho Cordova Cancer Center
Rancho Cordova, California, United States
Rohnert Park Cancer Center
Rohnert Park, California, United States
The Permanente Medical Group-Roseville Radiation Oncology
Roseville, California, United States
South Sacramento Cancer Center
Sacramento, California, United States
Kaiser Permanente Medical Center - Santa Clara
Santa Clara, California, United States
City of Hope South Pasadena
South Pasadena, California, United States
Kaiser Permanente Cancer Treatment Center
South San Francisco, California, United States
City of Hope South Bay
Torrance, California, United States
City of Hope Upland
Upland, California, United States
Boca Raton Regional Hospital
Boca Raton, Florida, United States
UM Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at Coral Gables
Coral Gables, Florida, United States
UM Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at Deerfield Beach
Deerfield Beach, Florida, United States

How to Talk to Your Doctor About This Trial

Bring the printable summary of this trial — including the NCT ID (NCT03550391), the sponsor (Canadian Cancer Trials Group), and the key eligibility criteria — to your next appointment. Your doctor can review the inclusion and exclusion criteria against your medical history, lab values, and current treatments to assess whether you are likely to qualify. They can also help you weigh whether trial participation makes sense alongside your existing care plan.

Useful questions to walk through together: What does the trial protocol require beyond standard care? How long is the active treatment phase, and how long is follow-up? Are there study visits at sites I can reach? Who pays for the trial-specific procedures, and who pays for standard-of-care portions? See our 25 questions to ask about clinical trials guide for a more complete checklist.

Authoritative Sources

The official record for this trial lives on ClinicalTrials.gov — the federal registry maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. For background on how this trial fits into the FDA approval pathway, see the FDA drug approval process. For oncology-specific guidance for patients considering trials, the National Cancer Institute publishes patient-oriented overviews. International trial registries are aggregated by the WHO ICTRP.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NCT03550391 clinical trial studying?

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a commonly used treatment for brain tumors. It is a one-day (or in some cases two day), out-patient procedure during which a high dose of radiation is delivered to small spots in the brain while excluding the surrounding normal brain. Whole brain radiation therapy with hippocampal avoidance (HA-WBRT) is when radiation therapy is given to the whole brain, while trying to decrease the amount of radiation that is delivered to the area of the hippocampus. The hippocampus is a brain structure that is important for memory. Memantine is a drug that is given to help… The full protocol is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov and includes the primary outcome measures, eligibility criteria, and study endpoints.

Who can participate in NCT03550391?

Eligibility for this trial depends on the specific inclusion and exclusion criteria set by the sponsor. The plain-English summary above translates the most important criteria into accessible language; the official clinical text is preserved in the collapsible section underneath. Whether you fit any specific trial is a medical decision your doctor needs to confirm — bring the trial information to your treating physician for a full review against your medical history.

How do I contact the trial site for NCT03550391?

Contact information registered with ClinicalTrials.gov is shown in the sidebar of this page. Before reaching out, confirm with your treating physician that this trial is appropriate for your situation. The trial site will then walk you through the screening process to determine final eligibility.

Is participating in a clinical trial safe?

Clinical trials in the United States are regulated by the FDA and overseen by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) that review the protocol for safety. Risk varies by trial — Phase 1 studies test new treatments in humans for the first time, while Phase 3 trials use treatments that have already passed earlier safety screening. The informed consent document for any specific trial details the known risks and what to expect. Discuss those risks with your physician before deciding whether to participate.

Where can I verify the data on this page?

Every detail on this page comes directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API. Click "View on ClinicalTrials.gov" in the sidebar to see the official, unmodified record. The federal record is always authoritative; this page is a structured presentation with a plain-English eligibility translation. For background on how clinical trials are regulated, see the FDA drug approval process documentation.

How This Page Is Built

Every field on this page is pulled directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 — no estimates, no proxies. The plain-English eligibility translation is generated from the original protocol text and reviewed for fidelity to the underlying clinical criteria. The original clinical text remains visible in the collapsible section above so users and clinicians can verify the translation. Read the full methodology for the data pipeline and known limitations.

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 record for NCT03550391. Maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. Public domain. Cite as: "TrialFinderData. NCT03550391. Data: ClinicalTrials.gov."

Medical disclaimer: This page is informational, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.

Last updated 2026-05-08 · Data from ClinicalTrials.gov.