SAFER study: Seizure activity before and after radiosurgery
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Prospective evaluation of the incidence of seizure activity in patients with brain metastases before and after stereotactic radiosurgery
IRAS ID
276567
Contact name
Nicola Rosenfelder
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Research & Development, RMH
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
With advances in cancer treatments, patients are living longer with cancer, and the
rate of ‘brain metastases’ (BM) (cancer deposit(s) in the brain having spread from elsewhere) has also increased. Survival with BM has also improved significantly from months to years.
All patients with BM are considered at increased risk of seizures and are warned of this when
diagnosed. Furthermore, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) stipulates that all are immediately
banned from driving.
Many patients tell us that awareness of the seizure-risk is especially difficult and can have an enormous impact on their lives, leading to social isolation, anxiety, loss of confidence and preventing them from being able to work. However,
we know that the majority will never have a seizure, and many will live the remainder of their lives in unnecessary
fear.
Studies looking at seizure rates in people with BM have assumed that all patients are at similar risk.
However, experience now tells us that people with BM are a diverse group and there are probably many factors that influence the risk of seizures.
This study aims to identify how frequent seizures are in people with BM and which are the important factors that increase the risk of seizures.
We operate a large clinic treating people with BM. We will invite all
people treated in our department to take part, collecting information about their cancer, the treatments they receive
and seizure occurrence.We aim to identify those factors that increase seizure-risk to develop a
stratification system to accurately predict whether any individual is at high- or low-risk of seizure. This could have
considerable benefit for patients:
Those at low risk will be reassured
Those at higher risk can be better supported
Treatments that may only work for those at higher risk (e.g. anti-seizure medication) can be evaluated in
further studies
DVLA will be able to tailor their advice, allowing low-risk patients to continue to drive.REC name
London - London Bridge Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/PR/0037
Date of REC Opinion
8 Feb 2021
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion