Five-day Preoperative Radiotherapy May Be as Effective as 5-week Course for Sarcoma

Five-day hypofractionated radiotherapy prior to resection is safe and effective among patients with soft tissue sarcoma of the extremity or trunk, according to an oral presentation at the Connective Tissue Oncology Society (CTOS) 2017 Annual Meeting.¹

While the standard 5-week preoperative radiotherapy regimen is effective among patients with soft tissue sarcoma, the course can be burdensome, with many patients being required to travel hundreds of miles and having their daily lives seriously disrupted.

In an ongoing phase 2 study, researchers are evaluating the safety and efficacy of a 5-day hypofractionated radiotherapy course. The primary analysis reported included the major wound complication rate and the tumor necrosis score.

Twenty-four of the enrolled 51 patients have undergone the 5-day course and surgical resection. No patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the median patient age was 60 years, and the median tumor size was 6.7 cm. About two-thirds of the included patients received intensity-modulated radiotherapy.

After a median follow-up of 6.5 months, 4 patients had major wound complications, all of which were resolved. The mean tumor necrosis score was 52%, though the presenter noted that tumor necrosis scores are not necessarily predictive of disease outcomes.

The authors concluded that the evaluated outcomes “are similar to data from historical controls treated with 5-weeks of conventionally fractionated preoperative RT.” Further study is needed.

Read more of Cancer Therapy Advisor‘s coverage of the Connective Tissue Oncology Society (CTOS) by visiting the conference page.

Reference

1. Kalbasi A, Kamrava M, Nelson S, et al. 5-day hypofractionated preoperative radiotherapy in soft tissue sarcoma: preliminary toxicity and pathologic outcomes from a prospective phase 1/2 clinical trial. Oral presentation at: Connective Tissue Oncology Society (CTOS) 2017 Annual Meeting. November 8-11, 2017; Maui, Hawaii.