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Hybrid Arc Palliative Radiation Therapy (HART): A Single Arm Phase II Trial

Hybrid Arc Palliative Radiation Therapy (HART): A Single Arm Phase II Trial

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06778408
Acronym
HART
Enrollment
103
Registered
2025-01-16
Start date
2025-04-28
Completion date
2028-03-01
Last updated
2026-02-05

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

Conditions

Metastatic Cancer (Different Solid Tumour Types), Palliative Radiotherapy

Keywords

palliative, radiotherapy

Brief summary

This is a prospective single-center single-arm Phase II trial of HART for patients with metastatic cancer. The primary objective is to assess the incidence of acute GI toxicity following HART. PRO-CTCAE GI scores observed in the study patients will be compared to historical rates. Secondary outcomes include measuring changes in health-related quality of life, esophageal quality of life, toxicity, dosimetric outcomes, and pain.

Detailed description

Palliative radiation therapy is often used to improve quality of life for patients with metastatic cancer, but severe gastrointestinal (GI) toxicities can limit its effectiveness. HART (Hybrid Arc Radiation Therapy) combines dynamic conformal arcs with conventional radiation beams to deliver more precise dose distributions while sparing healthy organs. This study explores whether HART can reduce acute GI toxicities compared to traditional methods, using validated measures like PRO-CTCAE scores. The goal is to improve patient adherence, reduce side effects, and enhance quality of life, while addressing the lack of clinical data on HART's safety and effectiveness in palliative care.

Interventions

RADIATIONHybrid Palliative Radiation Therapy

Hybrid Palliative Radiation Therapy will be administered to all patients.

Sponsors

University of Vermont Medical Center
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

Histological confirmation of cancer with radiographic (CT, MRI or PET) evidence of metastatic disease Palliative radiotherapy indicated for bone or soft tissue metastases, or primary targets, located in the thorax, abdomen, or pelvis as part of their standard of care treatment plan Age ≥ 18 years. Women of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use adequate contraception prior to study entry, for the duration of study participation, and for 90 days following completion of therapy. Should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately. In lieu of a pregnancy test, participants may sign the Pregnancy Attestation Form, a standard form routinely used in clinical practice at UVMCC. Recommended methods of birth control are: The consistent use of an approved hormonal contraception (birth control pill/patches, rings), An intrauterine device (IUD), Contraceptive injection (Depo-Provera), Double barrier methods (Diaphragm with spermicidal gel or condoms with contraceptive foam), Sexual abstinence (no sexual intercourse) or Sterilization. Men must agree to use a condom and not father a child or donate sperm for the duration of the study and for 90 days after completion of therapy. A female of child-bearing potential is any woman (regardless of sexual orientation, having undergone a tubal ligation, or remaining celibate by choice) who meets the following criteria: * Has not undergone a hysterectomy or bilateral oophorectomy; or * Has not been naturally postmenopausal for at least 12 consecutive months (i.e., has had menses at any time in the preceding 12 consecutive months). Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

Patients receiving any other investigational agents or concurrent cytotoxic chemotherapy Patients who are pregnant or nursing due to the potential for congenital abnormalities and the potential of this regimen to harm nursing infants. Serious medical comorbidities, which in the opinion of the radiation oncologist preclude the delivery of RT

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Incidence of acute gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity4 weeksTh incidence of acute gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity (defined as a score of ≥2) at 4 weeks post-treatment initiation will be measured and compared to historical data, using PRO-CTCAE GI scores to determine if HART reduces GI toxicity.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
patient-reported health-related quality of life4 weeksChanges in patient-reported health-related quality of life (HRQOL) following HART treatment will be measured, as assessed by the EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL questionnaire from baseline measurements.
patient-reported esophageal quality of life4 weeksTo assess changes in patient-reported esophageal quality of life (QOL) following HART, as measured by the Esophageal Cancer Subscale (ECS) of the FACT-E for thoracic disease, from baseline measurements.
physician graded toxicity4 weeksAssess physician graded toxicity using NCI-CTCAE v5.
dosimetric outcomes of HART4 weeksTo compare the dosimetric outcomes of HART and conventional AP/PA plans by analyzing dose-volume histograms, with a specific focus on the gastrointestinal organs at risk.
pain scale4 weeksTo evaluate pain scale changes as a surrogate marker for tumor response from baseline to post-HART.

Countries

United States

Contacts

CONTACTNataniel H Lester-Coll, MD
nlesterc@med.uvm.edu(802) 656-2021
CONTACTChristopher Anker, MD
chris.anker@uvmhealth.org(802) 656-2021

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 6, 2026