Recruiting

Smarter radiation treatment to protect memory and thinking after brain cancer surgery

Plain-English translation of NCT04343157 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated June 2026 · Translation generated June 2026 · How we translate trials

Phase 2 — Testing in a bigger group (up to a few hundred people) to see if the treatment actually works and is still safe.

What is this trial?

Brain metastases (cancer that spreads to the brain) affect many cancer patients, and radiation therapy called stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is the standard treatment. However, this radiation can sometimes harm the areas of your brain that handle memory, attention, and thinking. This trial tests a new approach that uses advanced imaging scans to identify these critical brain regions before treatment, then carefully aims the radiation to avoid them while still treating the cancer.

Most patients who receive standard brain radiation experience some decline in memory and thinking afterward. This trial exists to see whether using special imaging techniques to map and protect important brain structures during radiation can help prevent these cognitive side effects.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you are 18 years or older
you have 1 to 3 brain tumors, each smaller than 3 centimeters
you have cancer that started somewhere else in your body (like lung, breast, or prostate) and has spread to your brain
you are healthy enough to tolerate radiation treatment (with a performance status score of 0, 1, or 2)
you can have an MRI scan with contrast dye and are willing to have several scans over 6 months
your doctors believe you will live at least 6 more months

You likely don't qualify if…

you are pregnant or breastfeeding
you cannot safely have an MRI scan (such as due to a pacemaker or metal implant)
you have had whole-brain radiation therapy in the past
your tumor is growing directly into the parts of the brain that the study wants to protect
you have cancer that started in the brain itself, small cell lung cancer, or germ cell tumors

What participation looks like

You would receive stereotactic radiosurgery (a focused, high-dose radiation treatment) similar to standard care, but with special imaging and computer planning to avoid critical brain regions. Before treatment and at 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after treatment, you would have MRI scans to measure how your brain is doing. You would also complete memory and thinking tests at these time points to see whether the new approach helps protect your cognitive function.

AI-generated summary from trial data · Jun 11, 2026 · Not medical advice

Trial locations(1 site)

United States

Moores Cancer Center, San Diego, California