WashU Medicine Activated As First TRIBUTE Clinical Trial Site

While radiation therapy is a cornerstone in the palliative treatment of painful bone metastases, significant strides have been made in the field of interventional oncology. One of the most promising innovations is percutaneous image-guided ablation that, when used alongside radiation therapy, may offer synergistic benefits of both reducing pain and targeting tumor cells through different mechanisms. To explore the potential of combining these therapies, the Society of Interventional Oncology (SIO) has launched TRIBUTE, a landmark clinical study with its first site activated at WashU Medicine.

The trial aims to use radiation therapy and percutaneous image-guided ablation — a minimally invasive procedure that uses heat or cold to destroy cancerous tissue and alleviate pain with minimal recovery time — to evaluate real-world outcomes. Upon completion, the trial will enroll 120 patients across the United States who suffer from painful, high-risk bone metastases.

Two of the four national leaders of the study are from WashU Medicine: Jack W. Jennings, MD, PhD, vice chair for procedural and clinical quality and chief of musculoskeletal radiology for Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, and Clifford G. Robinson, MD, professor of radiation oncology. Additionally, Resten Imaoka, MD, assistant professor of radiology, will serve as the principal investigator for WashU Medicine.

“The results from the TRIBUTE trial have the potential to reshape treatment guidelines for metastatic bone disease,” said Jennings in a press release. “Research is the cornerstone of progress in interventional oncology, and SIO remains committed to driving groundbreaking efforts that elevate the impact of clinical research in our field.”

The TRIBUTE trial represents a vital step forward in improving the quality of life for patients with metastatic disease.