Comparing radiotherapy and everolimus for treating neuroendocrine tumors in the lung and thymus
Official title: Efficacy, Safety and Patient-reported Outcomes of Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy With 177Lu-edotreotide Compared to Everolimus in Somatostatin Receptor Positive Neuroendocrine Tumors of the Lung and Thymus.
Run by Grupo Espanol de Tumores Neuroendocrinos · NCT05918302 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing whether a new treatment called 177Lu-edotreotide is better than everolimus for helping people with neuroendocrine tumors in the lung and thymus live longer without their cancer getting worse.
Quick facts
| Phase | Phase 3 |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 170 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Grupo Espanol de Tumores Neuroendocrinos Academic / other |
| Drugs / interventions | chemotherapy, immunotherapy |
| Locations | 27 sites (Edegem, Edegem and 26 other locations) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | October 27, 2023 |
| Main results expected | March 2029 |
| Study ends | October 2029 |
| Registry record updated | May 12, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT05918302 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates include adults aged 18 and older with histologically confirmed metastatic or locally advanced unresectable neuroendocrine tumors of the lung or thymus.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with neuroendocrine tumors that are not somatostatin receptor positive or those who have already received multiple lines of systemic therapy may not benefit from this study.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
The LEVEL trial is a phase III, randomized, open-label study that aims to compare the efficacy of 177Lu-edotreotide against everolimus in patients with well to moderately differentiated neuroendocrine tumors of the lung and thymus. The study will enroll 120 patients who are eligible for everolimus and will be randomized in a 3:2 ratio to receive either treatment. Patients will be stratified based on prior treatment history and histological differentiation. The primary endpoint is progression-free survival, assessed through imaging techniques.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this trial could provide a more effective treatment option for patients with neuroendocrine tumors, potentially improving their progression-free survival.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown promising results with similar approaches in treating neuroendocrine tumors, suggesting potential for success in this trial.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
1. Institutional Review Board (IRB)/Independent Ethics Committee (IEC) approved written informed consent.
2. Patients ≥ 18 years of age.
3. Patients who have histologically confirmed metastatic or locally advanced unresectable well/moderately differentiated; World Health Organization (WHO\]) 2015 criteria; neuroendocrine tumor of lung (typical and atypical carcinoids) or thymus origin either functioning or non-functioning.
4. Patients must have the appropriate pathological features based on WHO classification, and description of proliferation activity as indicated by mitotic count per 10 high-power fields (HPF) and presence of necrosis, or Ki67 index.
5. In SSTR imaging all RECIST v1.1 selected target lesions and all other lesions considered dominant by the investigator should be positive. If an fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) is performed (not mandatory), all FDG-PET positive RECIST v1.1 target lesions and all other FDG-PET positive lesions considered dominant by the investigator should also be positive in SSRT imaging.
6. Lesions must have shown radiological evidence of disease progression in the 12 months prior to inclusion in the study. Patients who were receiving systemic anticancer therapy, progression should be documented on therapy or after stopping therapy due to adverse events or other reasons. Patients without prior therapy, documentation of progression is also mandatory to watch and wait strategy or during the follow up after surgery.
7. Patients may be included in first-line therapy (systemic treatment naïve) or may have experienced progression on somatostatin analogues or additional systemic treatments, which may include but not limited to chemotherapy, targeted agents or immunotherapy (maximum of 2 prior systemic anti-tumor treatments).
Note: Somatostatin analogues for patients with functioning tumors are allowed.
8. Patients have radiographically documented and measurable metastatic or locally advanced disease at baseline according to RECIST v1.1.
9. An archival tumor tissue sample should be available for submission to the central laboratory prior to study treatment (36 months). If an archival tumor tissue sample is not available, a new biopsy tissue sample should be provided if feasible.
10. Patients who have Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1.
11. Adequate organ and bone marrow function based upon meeting all of the following laboratory criteria:
1. Neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
2. Platelet count ≥ 75 × 10\^9/L
3. Hemoglobin ≥ 8 g/dL
4. Serum bilirubin ≤ 1.5 × upper limit of normal (ULN) or ≤ 3 × ULN for subjects with Gilbert's disease or liver metastases
5. Creatinine clearance (CrCl) ≥ 40 mL/min as estimated by the Cockcroft-Gault formula or as measured by 24-hour urine collection (GFR can also be used instead of CrCl). Note: renal tract obstruction is not allowed.
6. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ≤ 2.5 × ULN or ≤ 5 x ULN for subjects with liver metastases
12. Female subject must provide a negative urine pregnancy test at screening, and must agree to use a medically accepted and highly effective birth control method (i.e. those with a failure rate less than 1%) for the duration of the study treatment and for 6 months after the final dose of study treatment.
13. Female patients must agree not to breastfeed or donate ovules starting at screening and throughout the study period, and for at least 6 months after the final study drug administration.
14. Male patients must agree not to donate sperm starting at screening and throughout the study period, and for at least 6 months after the final study drug administration.
15. Male patients with a pregnant or breastfeeding partner(s) must agree to abstinence or use a condom for the duration of the pregnancy or time the partner is breastfeeding throughout the study period and for at least 6 months after the final study drug administration.
16. Subject agrees not to participate in another interventional study while on treatment in the present study.
Exclusion Criteria:
1. Patients who are not able to swallow tablets.
2. Patients with poorly-differentiated or high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma (i.e. large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of lung, small cell lung cancer) or mixed tumors (i.e. adenocarcinoid tumor) are not eligible.
3. Patients with brain mets unless stable on treatment for \> 12 weeks and with no evidence of raised intracranial pressure or mass effect.
4. Patients who have ongoing clinically significant toxicity (Grade 2 or higher with the exception of alopecia) associated with prior treatment (including systemic therapy, radiotherapy or surgery).
5. Patients who have a recent diagnosis of another malignancy (within 12 months prior to inclusion), patients who are on active treatment for other cancer before the first dose of study drug, or any evidence of residual disease from a previously diagnosed malignancy.
6. Patients who have a known active Hepatitis B (e.g., HBsAg reactive) or active hepatitis C (e.g., hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA \[qualitative\] is detected). Patients who have a known history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (HIV 1 or 2).
7. Patients who have received a live vaccine up to 4 weeks prior to the first dose of trial treatment.
Note:Live attenuated vaccines should not be administered during the trial treatment and over the next 3 months after the last treatment dose.
8. Patients who have documented history of a cerebral vascular event (stroke or transient ischemic attack), unstable angina, myocardial infarction, or cardiac symptoms (including congestive heart failure) consistent with New York Heart Association Class III-IV within 6 months prior to the first dose of study drug.
9. Prior peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) or mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors (e.g. deforolimus, everolimus, sirolimus, temsirolimus, etc.); or hepatic radio-embolization (within 6 months prior to first dose of study treatment).
10. Prior radiotherapy or major surgery within 12 weeks prior to the first dose of study drug.
11. Patients who have had chemotherapy, biologics, investigational agents, and/or antitumor treatment with immunotherapy that is not completed 4 weeks prior to the first dose of study drug.
12. Patients who have known hypersensitivity to Everolimus or to any excipient contained in the drug formulation of Everolimus.
13. Patients who have known hypersensitivity to 177Lu-edotreotide or to any excipient contained in the drug formulation of 177Lu-edotreotide or the nephroprotective amino acid solution (AAS).
14. Current spontaneous urinary incontinence preventing safe administration of the investigational medicinal product (IMP), in the investigator's opinion.
15. Patients who have other underlying medical conditions that, in the opinion of the investigator, would impair the ability of the subject to receive or tolerate the planned treatment and follow-up.
Where it's running
-
Antwerp University Hospital (UZA)
Edegem, Edegem, Belgium Recruiting -
UCL Saint-Luc
Brussels, Belgium Recruiting -
CHU Liège
Liège, Belgium Recruiting -
Hospital Center University Dijon Bourgogne (CHU Bourgogne)
Dijon, Dijon, France Recruiting -
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) Bordeux
Bourdeaux, France Recruiting -
Lille University Hospital
Lille, France Recruiting
Show 21 more locations
-
Hôpital Edouard Herriot, Lyon
Lyon, France Recruiting -
Department of Nuclear Medicine, La Timone University Hospital, CERIMED, Aix-Marseille University, France
Marseille, France Recruiting -
Department of Digestive Oncology, CHU Saint Eloi, Montpellier, France/ ICM Cancer Institute at Montpellier
Montpellier, France Recruiting -
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nantes
Nantes, France Recruiting -
I. Gustave Roussy, Paris
Paris, France Recruiting -
Azienda USL IRCCS Di Reggio Emilia
Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy Recruiting -
AOU Consorziale Policlinico di Bari - CROB Referrall Cancer Center of Basilicata
Bari, Italy Recruiting -
IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori "Dino Amadori" - Irsì - Meldola
Meldola, Italy Recruiting -
Istituto Europeo di Oncologia - Milano
Milan, Italy Recruiting -
Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata Verona
Verona, Italy Recruiting -
Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío
Seville, Andalusia, Spain Recruiting -
ICO Institut Català d'Oncologia L'Hospitalet
L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain Recruiting -
Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain Recruiting -
Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón
Madrid, Madrid, Spain Recruiting -
Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid
Madrid, Madrid, Spain Recruiting -
Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital
Madrid, Madrid, Spain Recruiting -
Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre
Madrid, Madrid, Spain Recruiting -
Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias
Oviedo, Principality of Asturias, Spain Recruiting -
Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe
Valencia, Valencia, Spain Recruiting -
Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron
Barcelona, Spain Recruiting -
Digestive Disease Unit, Sant'Andrea University Hospital, ENETS Center of Excellence Rome, Rome, Italy.
Roma, Italy Not yet recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Federico Nepote
- Email: investigacion@mfar.net
- Phone: +34934344412
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
New DLL3 PET/CT imaging for neuroendocrine tumors compared with standard scans
A new PET/CT scan using the 68Ga-DLL3 nanobody is being tested to see if it detects metastatic neuroendocrine tumors better than current scans in adults.
-
CTX-471 for NCAM-positive metastatic neuroendocrine tumors
A phase 2 trial is testing CTX-471 in adults with NCAM (CD56) positive metastatic neuroendocrine tumors that have progressed after standard therapy.
-
Terbium-161 DOTATATE for metastatic gastro‑enteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors
This trial tests terbium-161 DOTATATE, a targeted radioactive drug, in adults with metastatic well-differentiated GEP‑NETs who have progressed after lutetium‑177 therapy.
-
Sapu003 with or without exemestane for advanced mTOR-sensitive solid tumors
This phase 1b test will try weekly IV Sapu003, given with exemestane for HR+/HER2- breast cancer or alone for other mTOR-sensitive advanced tumors, to see if it's safe and how your body handles it.
-
Safety and tolerability of NEUK203-13 CAR-NK cells for DLL3 in advanced neuroendocrine tumors
This early phase trial tests NEUK203-13, an off-the-shelf CAR-NK cell therapy, in adults with advanced SCLC or other neuroendocrine tumors to see if it is safe and if it shows any anti-tumor activity.
-
Cabozantinib for adults with previously treated neuroendocrine tumors
This study will see how cabozantinib works and how safe it is for adults with neuroendocrine tumors that have continued to grow after prior systemic treatment.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.