The Trial of Endovascular Aneurysm Management (TEAM) study is the first and currently only large multicentre prospective randomized controlled trial (RCT) of endovascular management of unruptured aneurysm as compared to indefinite deferral of treatment in the world.

It aims to recruit up to 2002 patients in about 60 centres in three years. This will produce the largest ever prospective randomized study in unruptured aneurysm management. The main goal of the trial is to determine what is the best thing to do when an intracranial aneurysm is incidentally discovered on imaging studies of the brain (CT or MRI).

Is it better to treat the aneurysm by endovascular coiling preventively or is it better to defer treatment until other indications arise?

Boston Medical Center is currently enrolling patients for the TEAM study and has successfully recruited the first patient in New England.

If you are of a non-medical background, you may find the following resources helpful to learn more about cerebral aneurysms, their treatment and the TEAM study.

TEAM is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and is registered: International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number ISRCTN62758344

TEAM Participant Statement

We have the immense pride and pleasure to introduce the very first recruited patient in TEAM. She is honoring us here with a statement that voices the feelings and hardships that all patients with a recently discovered aneurysm go through, and the reason why she ended up choosing TEAM as her best option so far.

Hello,

When I learned that I had an asymptomatic unruptured brain aneurysm, of about 1 cm, I tried to understand.

I searched around and eventually found myself welcomed by a team of neuroradiologists specialized in a non-invasive treatment that we call endovascular.

I asked lots of questions of which the last one was: Is it absolutely necessary to operate or intervene? And I received the answer... the honest response: "We do not know it". I couldn't believe my ears. I would not be told with certitude if it was better to intervene, with all the risks involved, nor if it was better not to do it at all.

Through some personal research, I also found out that there are plenty of carriers of unruptured aneurysms who ignore they have them. But myself, I had a decision to make. It was my life that was at risk and unfortunately, the present situation of medical knowledge couldn't help providing an answer for me. It was then, that I was proposed to participate in the research project TEAM.

I meditated about it, weighed the pros and cons, and nothing was inclining me to favor one option rather than the other. Do we intervene or do we leave it alone? So, I cut it short. Chance on a randomized trial will choose for me. With this choice, at least I had ONE certitude. I will be participating in the search of a future answer.

Soon, when someone like me turns out with an unruptured aneurysm, we will be able to tell this person, with complete authority: YES or NO... and we have a trial to support it.

— TEAM Participating Patient