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Hypofractionated Pre-operative Radiation Therapy for Soft Tissue Sarcomas of the Extremity and Chest-wall

Pilot Study Evaluating Hypofractionated Pre-operative Radiation Therapy for Soft Tissue Sarcomas of the Extremity and Chest-wall

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02634710
Enrollment
35
Registered
2015-12-18
Start date
2016-02-23
Completion date
2022-06-14
Last updated
2025-12-02

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Keywords

soft tissue sarcoma

Brief summary

This is a nonrandomized Phase II pilot protocol to determine the feasibility, toxicity and disease control (local control, overall and progression-free survival) using hypofractionated preoperative radiation therapy in patients with primary localized soft tissue sarcomas (STS).

Detailed description

BACKGROUND OVERVIEW: Hypofractionation has several potential advantages over conventional radiation. First, the biological equivalent dose to the tumor is higher with hypofractionation than it is with conventional radiation. In between radiation treatments there is repair of the radiation damaged cancer cells (on a cell survival curve this region of repair is referred to as the shoulder of the curve). Some cell lines are better at repair than others. Sarcoma is often referred to as a radioresistant tumor, which means that sarcoma cell lines have a larger capacity for radiation repair than do other cell lines. A treatment that can deliver a high dose in fewer fractions can potentially overcome some of this repair. There is a concept in radiation known as biologically equivalent dose (BED) which states that a higher dose per fraction results in more tumor kill than a lower dose per fraction. For example, radiation delivered to a total of 60 Gy in three 20 Gy fractions is the equivalent of 150 Gy in 2 Gy fractions. BACKGROUND RATIONALE: It is important to conduct this study because hypofractionation not only decreases treatment package time and cost of care, but it also potentially improves patient convenience and quality of life and could impact radiologic and pathologic variables in a positive way by leading to more tumor cell kill. This could potentially change the paradigm of the current management of STS of the extremity and chest-wall. HYPOTHESIS: Preoperative hypofractionated radiation therapy for localized soft tissue sarcomas (STS) will result in local control and toxicity similar to conventional fractionation with less cost, more patient convenience and decreased overall treatment time. TREATMENT: Image-guided radiation therapy is mandatory. PREOPERATIVE: (1) Either 3D conformal radiotherapy or intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). (2) A prescription dose of 35 Gy in 5 fractions given every other day with at least 48 hours in between each fraction will be prescribed to cover 95% of the planning target volume. TREATMENT SCHEDULE: Treatments will have a minimum of a 48-hour interfraction interval. Treatments will be completed over 20 days maximum.

Interventions

RADIATIONHypofractionated Radiation Therapy

Treatments will have a minimum of a 48-hour interfraction interval. Treatments will be completed over 20 days maximum.

Sponsors

Medical College of Wisconsin
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* ≥ 18 years of age * Core needle biopsy obtained * Pathologic confirmation of primary soft tissue sarcoma of the upper or lower extremity or chest-wall. * Stage I-III Soft Tissue Sarcoma of the extremity without evidence of metastatic disease * Medically operable * No prior radiotherapy to primary site or adjacent site that results in overlapping radiation fields. * MRI obtained of the affected extremity or chest-wall * CT chest acquired to assess distant disease * Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) 60 or above * Informed consent obtained prior to study entry

Exclusion criteria

* Patients who have metastatic disease * Pregnant women * Women of childbearing potential and male participants must practice adequate contraception. * Disease pathology other than sarcoma subtypes * Patients with a history of metastatic disease from a primary other than sarcoma * Patients who cannot undergo MRI as part of pre-treatment or treatment planning process * STS of non-extremity or chest-wall regions * Tumor size ≥ 20 cm maximal dimension

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Local Disease Control Assessed by Physical Examination2 YearsThis measure will capture the number of subjects experiencing a recurrence of the primary lesion assessed by physical examination.
Local Disease Control Assessed by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)2 yearsThis measure is the number of subjects experiencing a recurrence of the primary lesion as assessed by MRI.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Disease-free Survival2 YearsDisease-free survival will measure the time in months from initiation of radiation therapy until documented recurrence of disease. Patients who are disease-free and alive at the time of analysis will be censored at the time of their last follow-up. Patients will be assessed for disease-free survival at 2 years.
Overall Survival2 YearsOverall survival will measure the time from initiation of radiation therapy until documented death from any cause. Patients who are alive at the time of analysis will be censored at the time of their last follow-up. Patients will be assessed for overall survival at 2 years.
Radiologic Changes Due to Hypofractionated Radiation.4 weeks after radiation therapyThis measure will assess the size of enhancement due to hypofractionated radiation.
Treatment-related Necrosis and Fibrosis2 yearsNumber of participants who experienced treatment-related necrosis and fibrosis ≥90%.
Pathologic Changes Due to Hypofractionated Radiation.2 weeks after surgeryThis measure will capture the fibrosis present in tissue specimens as a percent.
Musculoskeletal Tumor Rating Scale (MSTS) ScoreBaseline, prior to surgery and 24 months after surgeryToxicity will be assessed at specific times the Musculoskeletal Tumor Rating Scale. The MSTS evaluates: pain, function, emotional acceptance, hand positioning, dexterity and lifting ability, using a six-item Likert scale ranging from 0 (worst condition) to 5 (best condition). The individual scores are added for the MSTS Score, range 0 to 30. A higher score indicates better function.

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Hypofractionated Radiation Therapy
Radiation treatment in which the total dose of radiation is divided into large doses and treatments are given every other day. Hypofractionated radiation therapy is given over a shorter period of time (fewer days or weeks) than standard radiation therapy. Hypofractionated Radiation Therapy: Treatments will have a minimum of a 48-hour interfraction interval. Treatments will be completed over 20 days maximum.
35
Total35

Withdrawals & dropouts

PeriodReasonFG000
Overall StudyDeath4

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicHypofractionated Radiation Therapy
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
0 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
18 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
17 Participants
Age, Continuous63.2 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 15.4
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Hispanic or Latino
2 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Not Hispanic or Latino
33 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
1 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
1 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
33 Participants
Region of Enrollment
United States
35 participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
16 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
19 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
4 / 35
other
Total, other adverse events
20 / 35
serious
Total, serious adverse events
19 / 35

Outcome results

Primary

Local Disease Control Assessed by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

This measure is the number of subjects experiencing a recurrence of the primary lesion as assessed by MRI.

Time frame: 2 years

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Hypofractionated Radiation TherapyLocal Disease Control Assessed by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)0 Participants
Primary

Local Disease Control Assessed by Physical Examination

This measure will capture the number of subjects experiencing a recurrence of the primary lesion assessed by physical examination.

Time frame: 2 Years

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Hypofractionated Radiation TherapyLocal Disease Control Assessed by Physical Examination0 Participants
Secondary

Disease-free Survival

Disease-free survival will measure the time in months from initiation of radiation therapy until documented recurrence of disease. Patients who are disease-free and alive at the time of analysis will be censored at the time of their last follow-up. Patients will be assessed for disease-free survival at 2 years.

Time frame: 2 Years

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Hypofractionated Radiation TherapyDisease-free Survival32 Participants
Secondary

Musculoskeletal Tumor Rating Scale (MSTS) Score

Toxicity will be assessed at specific times the Musculoskeletal Tumor Rating Scale. The MSTS evaluates: pain, function, emotional acceptance, hand positioning, dexterity and lifting ability, using a six-item Likert scale ranging from 0 (worst condition) to 5 (best condition). The individual scores are added for the MSTS Score, range 0 to 30. A higher score indicates better function.

Time frame: Baseline, prior to surgery and 24 months after surgery

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Hypofractionated Radiation TherapyMusculoskeletal Tumor Rating Scale (MSTS) ScoreBaseline29 units on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.05
Hypofractionated Radiation TherapyMusculoskeletal Tumor Rating Scale (MSTS) ScorePrior to Surgery28.3 units on a scaleStandard Deviation 2.06
Hypofractionated Radiation TherapyMusculoskeletal Tumor Rating Scale (MSTS) Score2 years27.3 units on a scaleStandard Deviation 2.47
Secondary

Overall Survival

Overall survival will measure the time from initiation of radiation therapy until documented death from any cause. Patients who are alive at the time of analysis will be censored at the time of their last follow-up. Patients will be assessed for overall survival at 2 years.

Time frame: 2 Years

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Hypofractionated Radiation TherapyOverall Survival32 Participants
Secondary

Pathologic Changes Due to Hypofractionated Radiation.

This measure will capture the fibrosis present in tissue specimens as a percent.

Time frame: 2 weeks after surgery

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Hypofractionated Radiation TherapyPathologic Changes Due to Hypofractionated Radiation.Necrosis17.5 percentage of tumor specimenStandard Deviation 26.4429
Hypofractionated Radiation TherapyPathologic Changes Due to Hypofractionated Radiation.Fibrosis20 percentage of tumor specimenStandard Deviation 32.5364
Hypofractionated Radiation TherapyPathologic Changes Due to Hypofractionated Radiation.Viable Cells50 percentage of tumor specimenStandard Deviation 31.9287
Secondary

Radiologic Changes Due to Hypofractionated Radiation.

This measure will assess the size of enhancement due to hypofractionated radiation.

Time frame: 4 weeks after radiation therapy

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Hypofractionated Radiation TherapyRadiologic Changes Due to Hypofractionated Radiation.-16.2 cubic centimetersStandard Deviation 25
Secondary

Treatment-related Necrosis and Fibrosis

Number of participants who experienced treatment-related necrosis and fibrosis ≥90%.

Time frame: 2 years

ArmMeasureGroupValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Hypofractionated Radiation TherapyTreatment-related Necrosis and FibrosisTreatment-related fibrosis4 Participants
Hypofractionated Radiation TherapyTreatment-related Necrosis and FibrosisTreatment-related necrosis4 Participants

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026