Hippocampal Avoidance During Prophylactic Cranial Irradiation for Patients With Small Cell Lung Cancer: Randomized Phase II/III Trial NRG-CC003

V Vinai Gondi (Andrew B. Lassman, MD, MS, Division of Neuro-Oncology, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York, NY, NewYork-Presbyterian, New York, NY; Mei-Yin C. Polley, PhD, NRG Oncology Statistics and Data Management Center, Chicago, IL, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL; Fabio M. Iwamoto, MD, Division of Neuro-Oncology, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY,Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York, NY, NewYork-Presbyterian, New York, NY; Vinai Gondi, MD, Department of Radiation Oncology, Northwestern Medicine Cancer Center Warrenville and Proton Center, Warrenville, IL; Erik P. Sulman, MD, PhD, Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC; Jedd D. Wolchok, MD, PhD, Meyer Cancer Center and Department of Medicine, Weill Cor...) S Stephanie L. Pugh (NRG Oncology, Philadelphia, PA) M Minesh P. Mehta J Jeffrey S. Wefel (University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX) W Wolfgang A. Tomé (Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY) A Alexander Y. Sun (University Health Network-Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Canada) J John Grecula (Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH) K Kristin J. Redmond (The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD) S Shannon Fogh (UCSF Medical Center-Parnassus, San Francisco, CA) L Laurie Gaspar (University of Colorado, Denver, CO) A Andre Konski (Chester County Hospital, West Chester, PA) J Joseph Bovi (ThedaCare Regional Hospital, Appleton, WI) C Clifford G. Robinson (Siteman Cancer Center at Washington University, Saint Louis, MO) B Benjamin Corn (Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel) G Gregory M. Videtic (Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH) B Benjamin H. Lok H Harold A. Yoon (Heartland NCORP, Decatur, IL) J John H. Heinzerling (Atrium Health/Levine Cancer Institute/Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Charlotte, NC) A Albert S. DeNittis (Lankenau Medical Center, Wynnewood, PA) R Ronald C. McGarry (University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY) K Kiran Devisetty (Karmanos Cancer Institute/Wayne State University, Detroit, MI) V Vijayananda Kundapur (Saskatoon Cancer Centre, Saskatoon, Canada) A Abraham J. Wu (Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY) E Edward C. McCarron (MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center/Weinberg Cancer Institute, Baltimore, MD) I Isabelle Thibault (CHU de Quebec-Université Laval, Quebec, Canada) E Edmund L. Simon (Georgia NCI Community Oncology Research Program, Cumming, GA) A Andrew M. Baschnagel (University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, Madison, WI) S Samir Narayan (Michigan Cancer Research Consortium NCORP, Ypsilanti, MI) J Jondavid Pollock (West Virginia University Healthcare, Wheeling, WV) R Rebecca Paulus (NRG Oncology Statistics and Data Management Center, Philadelphia, PA) L Lisa A. Kachnic

Abstract

PURPOSE Hippocampal avoidance (HA) during therapeutic whole-brain radiotherapy reduces the risk of neurocognitive function (NCF) toxicity in patients with brain metastasis. This trial hypothesized that HA during prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) leads to noninferior intracranial relapse (ICR) and reduction in NCF toxicity. METHODS This randomized phase II/III trial enrolled patients with SCLC, no brain metastases, and response to chemotherapy. The primary end points were 12-month ICR (noninferiority design, randomized phase II) and 6-month Hopkins Verbal Learning Test–Revised (HVLT-R) Delayed Recall (DR) failure (phase III). Secondary end points were failure in any NCF test, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), overall survival (OS), and toxicity. RESULTS From December 2015 to June 2022, 393 patients were randomly assigned. The median age was 64 years. Stage and memantine usage were balanced. The median follow-up was 17.0 months (all patients) and 30.8 months (alive patients). HA-PCI had noninferior 12-month ICR rate (PCI 14.8% v HA-PCI 14.7%, P < .0001). Six-month HVLT-R DR deterioration was not significantly different (PCI 30.0% v HA-PCI 25.5%, P = .28). Addition of HA to PCI reduced the risk of failure in any NCF test (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.78; 95% CI [0.61 to 0.99]; P = .039). Addition of HA to PCI was not associated with longitudinal change in any HRQOL domain. There were no differences in OS (adjusted HR, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.67 to 1.14]; P = .33) or grade ≥3 toxicity (PCI 31.4% v HA-PCI 30.7%, P = .88). CONCLUSION Although the study did not meet its primary end point of DR preservation, HA during PCI reduces the risk of overall neurocognitive toxicity with noninferior ICR risk and similar survival.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 43, Issue 32
Published November 10, 2025
Pages 3516-3525
ISSN 0732-183X
Publisher Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Journal Info

Journal of Clinical Oncology

Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

ISSN: 0732-183X Health Sciences

Authors (31)

V

Vinai Gondi

Andrew B. Lassman, MD, MS, Division of Neuro-Oncology, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York, NY, NewYork-Presbyterian, New York, NY; Mei-Yin C. Polley, PhD, NRG Oncology Statistics and Data Management Center, Chicago, IL, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL; Fabio M. Iwamoto, MD, Division of Neuro-Oncology, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY,Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York, NY, NewYork-Presbyterian, New York, NY; Vinai Gondi, MD, Department of Radiation Oncology, Northwestern Medicine Cancer Center Warrenville and Proton Center, Warrenville, IL; Erik P. Sulman, MD, PhD, Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC; Jedd D. Wolchok, MD, PhD, Meyer Cancer Center and Department of Medicine, Weill Cor...

S

Stephanie L. Pugh

NRG Oncology, Philadelphia, PA

M

Minesh P. Mehta

J

Jeffrey S. Wefel

University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

W

Wolfgang A. Tomé

Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY

A

Alexander Y. Sun

University Health Network-Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Canada

J

John Grecula

Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH

K

Kristin J. Redmond

The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD

S

Shannon Fogh

UCSF Medical Center-Parnassus, San Francisco, CA

L

Laurie Gaspar

University of Colorado, Denver, CO

A

Andre Konski

Chester County Hospital, West Chester, PA

J

Joseph Bovi

ThedaCare Regional Hospital, Appleton, WI

C

Clifford G. Robinson

Siteman Cancer Center at Washington University, Saint Louis, MO

B

Benjamin Corn

Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel

G

Gregory M. Videtic

Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH

B

Benjamin H. Lok

H

Harold A. Yoon

Heartland NCORP, Decatur, IL

J

John H. Heinzerling

Atrium Health/Levine Cancer Institute/Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Charlotte, NC

A

Albert S. DeNittis

Lankenau Medical Center, Wynnewood, PA

R

Ronald C. McGarry

University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

K

Kiran Devisetty

Karmanos Cancer Institute/Wayne State University, Detroit, MI

V

Vijayananda Kundapur

Saskatoon Cancer Centre, Saskatoon, Canada

A

Abraham J. Wu

Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY

E

Edward C. McCarron

MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center/Weinberg Cancer Institute, Baltimore, MD

I

Isabelle Thibault

CHU de Quebec-Université Laval, Quebec, Canada

E

Edmund L. Simon

Georgia NCI Community Oncology Research Program, Cumming, GA

A

Andrew M. Baschnagel

University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, Madison, WI

S

Samir Narayan

Michigan Cancer Research Consortium NCORP, Ypsilanti, MI

J

Jondavid Pollock

West Virginia University Healthcare, Wheeling, WV

R

Rebecca Paulus

NRG Oncology Statistics and Data Management Center, Philadelphia, PA

L

Lisa A. Kachnic