Skip to main content

Lu-177-DOTATATE (Lutathera) in Therapy of Inoperable Pheochromocytoma/ Paraganglioma

  • PhasePhase 2
  • StatusRecruiting
  • Planned enrollment130 people
  • Recruiting US sites1
  • SponsorNational Cancer Institute (NCI)
  • RegistryNCT03206060

Recruitment re-checked on ClinicalTrials.gov Oct 30, 2026. Public record; not medical advice.

Lu-177-DOTATATE (Lutathera) in Therapy of Inoperable Pheochromocytoma/ Paraganglioma: a one-minute explainerNCT032060601 min

Eligibility

Who can join

The film gives the main points. The full list below is copied from the registry; the study team makes the final decision.

  • Age18 Years to 100 Years
  • SexAll
  • Healthy volunteersNo

You may be able to join if

  • INCLUSION CRITERIA:
  • Surgically inoperable participants with clinical diagnosis of PHEO/PGL who also have demonstrated disease histologically consistent with pheochromocytoma or paraganglioma (preferably confirmed by research site pathology review if initial pathology was done outside of research site, but not mandatory)
  • Progressive disease by RECIST 1.1 with or without symptoms within the last 12 months. NOTE: Untreated participants with existing histologic diagnoses are eligible if progression can be demonstrated
  • PHEO/PGL that is not associated with any known susceptibility genetic mutations for PHEO/PGL except SDHx mutation (a.k.a. "apparent sporadic"), based on documented genetic testing results obtained prior to study enrollment. PHEO/PGL that is associated with non-SDHx mutations such as VHL, NF1, and RET will not be eligible for this study.
  • Both metastatic and inoperable primary-only participants are eligible.
  • Must have presence of SSTR+ disease as documented by positive Ga-68-DOTATATE PET scan within 12 weeks of anticipated treatment.
  • NOTE:
  • Positivity of Ga-68-DOTATATE PET scan defined as having at least one lesion that is greater than or equal to 10 mm in diameter with uptake that is higher than or equal to liver and is qualitatively higher and distinguishable from background activity.
  • Measurable disease as defined by RECIST 1.1.
  • Age greater than or equal to 18
  • Karnofsky Performance Score greater than or equal to 60 or ECOG Performance Status of 2 or better.
  • Able to understand and willing to sign informed consent.
  • Ability and willingness to obtain all required scans per study schedule.
  • Negative serum pregnancy test for women of child-bearing potential. NOTE: A female is not of childbearing potential if a prior history of hysterectomy with bilateral oophorectomy or other procedure has rendered the participant surgically sterile, or >2 years since last menstruation.
  • Female participants of childbearing potential and male participants who are not surgically sterile or with female partners of childbearing potential must agree to use effective, non-hormonal means of contraception (intrauterine contraceptive device, barrier method of contraception in conjunction with spermicidal gel) prior to study entry, for the duration of study participation, and for 4 months for male participants or 7 months for female participants (10 half-lives of Lu-177) after the last dose of Lu-177-DOTATATE.
  • Must have outside endocrinologist/medical oncologist who can follow the participant after receiving PRRT (NIH only requirement).
  • Patients with secreting tumors must be receiving adequate pharmacologic catecholamine blockade as determined by the treating physician.
  • Ineligible, unable to or unwilling to receive standard first line therapy for PHEO/PGL.

You cannot join if

  • Creatinine clearance <50 mL/min calculated by the MDRD method, eventually confirmed by measured creatinine clearance (or measured glomerular filtration rate (GFR) using plasma clearance methods.
  • Serum albumin less than or equal to 3.0 g/dL unless prothrombin time is within the normal range.
  • Liver dysfunction as evidenced by Child s Class C Liver Disease or worse Alternatively, AST or ALT > 2.5 times institutional upper limit of normal (ULN) unless liver metastases are present, in which case up to 5 times ULN would be allowed.
  • Hb < 8.0 g/dL; WBC < 2.0 x 10^9/L (or Absolute Neutrophil Count < 1000); Platelets < 100 x 10^9/L
  • In participants with symptoms of congestive heart failure, New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification of grade III or IV
  • Pregnancy or lactation.
  • Prior anti-tumoral radionuclide therapy with unsealed sources. Prior therapy with sealed radioactive sources such as brachytherapy will be allowed.
  • Prior local radiation therapy would be allowed as long as there is at least one non-irradiated index lesion.
  • Known brain metastases, unless these metastases have been treated and stabilized for at least 24 weeks, prior to enrollment in the study. Patients with a history of brain metastases must have a head CT or MRI scan with contrast to document stable disease for at least 24 weeks prior to enrolment in the study.
  • Other known co-existing malignancies except non-melanoma skin cancer and carcinoma in situ of the uterine cervix, unless definitively treated and proven no evidence of recurrence for 5 years.
  • Patients who participated in any therapeutic clinical study with an investigational agent within the last 30 days.
  • Patients may be on somatostatin analogue therapy (e.g. but not only limited to sandostatin or lanreotide therapy). However, therapy with somatostatin analogues should not be initiated or altered within 3 months of study enrolment. Patients on short term octreotide may have dose held for 24 hours prior to Lu-177-DOTATATE therapy. Those on long acting octreotide therapy will receive treatment at 1 to 5 days prior to their next cold octreotide dose, in order to prevent competition for the receptor.
  • Patient weight > 400 lbs (table limit for PET scanner) or per local institutional standard for participating sites.
  • Uncontrolled inter-current illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, hypertension (>180/110), arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements.
  • Inability to tolerate at least one modality of diagnostic anatomic imaging, such as CT or MRI.

The treatment

How it is intended to work

This is how the treatment is meant to work. Whether it helps, and how safe it is, is what this trial is testing.

Treatments listed in the registry

  • Lu-177-DOTATATE (Drug): Lu-177-DOTATATE IV at weeks 1, 8, 16 and 24.
  • Ga-68-DOTATATE (Drug): Ga-68-DOTATATE PET/CT at weeks 15 and 31, every 24 weeks during 3 years follow up period.

The study

Treatment groups

Na · Single Group · masking: None

1/Lu-177-DOTATATE (Experimental)

Lu-177-DOTATATE is administered IV every 8 (+/- 2) weeks, for a total of 4 administrations. A Ga-68-DOTATATE PET and F-18-FDG-PET, as well as CT/ MRI for RECIST monitoring, will be obtained post 2 administrations and post 4 administrations. Concomitant administration of an IV infusion of an amino acid (AA) solution will also be done for renal protection. Concomitant administration of an IV infusion of an amino acid (AA) solution will also be done for renal protection.

What it involves

Procedures

As the registry describes them. Requirements to join, such as a tissue sample, are in the eligibility list above even when on-study procedures are optional. Ask the study team which steps apply to you.

  • CT scans: Part of the study plan; some time points described as optional
  • MRI: Part of the study plan
  • PET scans: Part of the study plan
  • surgery: Part of the study plan

Goals

What the study measures

Main goals

  • progression-free survival (6 months)

Other goals

  • Time to tumor progression
  • Safety and tolerability profile
  • Overall survival
  • Objective response rate
  • Evaluate Quality of Life
  • Determine changes in plasma biochemical markers
  • Determine ability to decrease anti-hypertensive medication

Planned enrollment: 130 (estimated).

Where

Recruiting US sites

  • National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland

Site status as of Oct 30, 2026. Check the live record before contacting a site.

Background research

Papers linked by the registry

These papers are listed in the registry record. Unless a paper is marked as about this trial, it is background research on the treatment or disease, not results from this study.

Sources

Where this comes from

Registry record reviewed as fetched Oct 30, 2026, last updated by the sponsor Oct 25, 2026. Public record; not medical advice.

For you, or someone you love

Whether or not this trial is the one, bring AI into your corner.

A complex diagnosis brings new questions every week, in a trial and out of one. Triangle keeps your whole medical file together, reads it with you in plain language, and helps you and your family decide what to ask next.

Start your 7-day free trial

Then $9 a month. Cancel anytime.

  • Every record in one place

    Requested from your hospitals and clinics through the national networks. Add scans, pathology and anything on paper.

  • Read in plain words

    Reports explained as they come in, with lab values you can follow before treatment, during a trial and after.

  • Ready for every appointment

    Ask about your own file, and walk in with questions for your oncologist or the trial team.

  • Your people, in the loop

    Share one profile with the family helping you, and with your doctors.

Members also get a deeper analysis of their records and any sequencing data, including clinical trials that may fit, reviewed by a licensed physician before they receive it.

Already in a trial?

It turns into a project to manage: visits, scans, labs, side effects and paperwork. Triangle keeps it organized in one place for you or for whoever's helping.

Organize my trial

7-day free trial, then $9 a month. Cancel anytime.