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Tests whole-body heat treatment with standard drugs for advanced pancreatic cancer

Tests whole-body heat added to standard drugs in adults with metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Key facts

Who runs it
ElmediX
Where
Antwerp and Ghent, BelgiumSee the 2 sitesAlso in 1 other country, 2 sites
Trial code
Registry title
A Study Comparing Whole-Body Heat Treatment Plus Systemic Therapy to Systemic Therapy Alone, for Advanced Pancreatic Cancer
Status
Not yet recruiting
Phase
Phase 2/3
People taking part
95 people, planned
Started
1 Oct 2026
Expected to end
31 Dec 2030
Type of study
Interventional, 2 groupsOne group gets an existing treatment, for comparison.
Treatments tested
  • Whole-body hyperthermia
  • Standard-of-Care Systemic therapy
Record updated
17 July 2026

Who can take part

AI summary

From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.

The trial is looking for adults with pancreatic cancer that has spread, whose first chemotherapy has stopped working. It tests heat treatment of the whole body together with standard drug therapy.

Age
18 years or older
Sex
All sexes
Disease stage
Metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma confirmed by tissue examination, with disease that can be measured on scans (RECIST 1.1). ECOG performance status 1 or lower.
Earlier treatment
Must have had chemotherapy as first-line treatment for metastatic disease. Must not have had biological therapy or radiotherapy in the 2 weeks before randomization, or major surgery in the 6 weeks before.

Main reasons for not taking part

  • Pregnant or breastfeeding women
  • Known or suspected brain metastasis
  • Another cancer in the last 5 years (with a few exceptions)
  • Serious heart, lung or other major organ disease, or clinically significant ascites or decompensated cirrhosis
  • Organ transplant requiring immunosuppressive therapy

The registry criteria, word for word

Show all 36 criteriaShow less

Who can take part

  • Subjects at least 18 years of age at time of signing the informed consent
  • Subjects with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) confirmed by histology
  • Measurable disease per RECIST 1.1
  • Subjects previously treated with chemotherapy in first line for metastatic disease
  • ECOG performance status ≤ 1
  • Height ≤ 2,00 m, BMI maximal 40 or positive fitting session
  • Adequate liver structure (accessible metastasis-free and functional liver parenchyma) allowing stable liver sensor positioning without unacceptable risks of bleeding and perforation, based on echographic assessment (or any imaging modality)
  • Adequate bone marrow function defined as; white blood cell count ≥ 2000/µl; neutrophils ≥ 1500 cells/μL; platelets ≥ 100 x 109/L; hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dl (female) and ≥10 g/dl (male) documented
  • Adequate coagulation defined as; PT (%) ≥ 70%; aPTT ≤ ULN
  • Adequate liver function defined as; Transaminases (AST, ALT) ≤ 2.5 x ULN or ≤ 5.0 in presence of liver metastasis; bilirubin ≤ 2 x ULN
  • Adequate renal function defined as calculated eGFR ≥ 60 mL/min (CKD-EPI equation)
  • Normal ionogram
  • Effective contraception for both male and female subjects if applicable. Women of childbearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test at screening visit
  • Written informed consent must be given according to good clinical practice and national/local regulations

Who cannot take part

  • Organ allografts requiring immunosuppressive therapy
  • Implants that are not compatible with temperature changes
  • Participation in another clinical trial 2 weeks prior to the randomization
  • Biological therapy during the 2 weeks prior to the randomization
  • Radiotherapy up to 2 weeks prior to the randomization
  • Major surgery up to 6 weeks prior to the randomization (port-a-cath placement is minor)
  • Other malignant diseases in the medical history during the last 5 years (exceptions: carcinoma in situ of the cervix or adequately treated basal cell carcinoma of the skin)
  • Serious medical risk factors involving any of the major organ systems, including high cardiovascular risk defined as recent major cardiovascular events (such as myocardial infarction or stroke), clinically relevant heart failure due to structural or mechanical cardiac abnormalities (e.g., valvular disease or myocardial dysfunction), and clinically significant arrhythmias
  • Clinically significant pulmonary disease which might interfere with mechanical ventilation
  • History of autonomic dysfunction (due to the influence on skin blood flow)
  • History of malignant hyperthermia
  • History of untreated endocrine pathology (e.g. diabetes type II, hyper- or hypothyroidism)
  • Primary untreated diabetes type I not related to the oncological condition (due to vascular complications)
  • Known allergies to drugs that will be used during the trial (e.g. anesthetic, analgesic, chemotherapy)
  • Active infections not controlled by medication
  • Presence of clinically significant ascites and/or decompensated cirrhosis/portal hypertension
  • (History of) clinically significant (investigator decision) psychiatric disorder and/or psychosocial disorder that may interfere with adequate compliance to the protocol or signature of the informed consent
  • Other clinically significant disease which could impair the subject's ability to participate in the study according to the investigator's opinion
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding women
  • Presence of brain metastasis (known or suspected)
  • Pathology that would interfere with the placement of the bladder catheter
  • Severe, non-healing wounds, ulcers or bone fractures

Where in Belgium

Also in 1 other country, 2 sites

  • Universitair Ziekenhuis Antwerpen (UZA)Antwerp, BelgiumContact: Timon Vandamme, Prof. Dr. (principal investigator)No longer taking part
  • Algemeen Ziekenhuis Maria Middelares (AZ MM)Ghent, BelgiumContact: Vincent Bouderez, Dr. (principal investigator)No longer taking part

About the trial

What the trial wants to find out

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is associated with poor prognosis and limited treatment options following failure of first-line therapy. Whole-body hyperthermia (WBHT) is a non-invasive treatment approach that raises the body's core temperature under controlled conditions and may enhance the effects of anticancer therapies through multiple biological mechanisms, including improved drug delivery, modulation of the immune response, and increased sensitivity to treatment.

Read full original descriptionShow less

The MATTERS-2 study is a multicentre, randomized clinical trial designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of WBHT in combination with standard systemic anticancer therapy in patients with metastatic PDAC after failure of first-line treatment. Participants will receive either standard systemic therapy alone or standard systemic therapy combined with WBHT.

The primary objective of the study is to determine whether the addition of WBHT improves clinical outcomes compared with standard therapy alone in terms of overall survival (OS) while maintaining safety. Secondary objectives include other clinical outcomes such as progression-free survival (PFS), disease control rate (DCR) and objective response rate (ORR). Further, quality of life assessments (QoL) and exploratory biomarker analyses will also be performed.

The 2 groups in the trial

  • Control groupExisting treatment, for comparison

    Participants receive standard-of-care systemic treatment as indicated for metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (mPDAC, stage IV) after failure of the first-line treatment.

    Treatment: Standard-of-Care Systemic therapy

  • Whole-body hyperthermia treatment (WBHT) groupTreatment being tested

    Participants will receive whole-body hyperthermia (WBHT) alongside their indicated standard-of-care systemic treatment.

    Treatment: Whole-body hyperthermia and Standard-of-Care Systemic therapy

Questions to ask the study team

  1. How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
  2. Are travel costs paid?
  3. Can I keep my own doctor?
  4. What happens if I want to stop?

Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations

Print a page for my doctor

Data and sources

Registry record
Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
Official title
A Multi-Centric, Randomized, Pivotal Study, Evaluating Efficacy and Safety of Whole-Body Hyperthermia Alongside Standard Systemic Anticancer Therapy in Patients With Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer After Failure of First Line Treatment.
Plain-language title
Tests whole-body heat treatment with standard drugs for advanced pancreatic cancerGenerated from the registry record. The registry title is the official one.
AI summary
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Read by machine on 12 November 2026.
Record updated
17 July 2026