A priori quality assurance using a benchmark case of the randomized phase 2 GORTEC 2014-14 in oligometastatic head and neck cancer patients

Management of head and neck carcinomas with synchronous or metachronous oligometastatic disease: Role of locoregional radiotherapy and metastasis-directed radiotherapy

Head and neck carcinomas are initially metastatic in about 15% of cases. Radiotherapy is a cornerstone in the multimodal strategy at the locoregional phase. In patients with head and neck cancer, often heavily pretreated and with comorbidities, who relapse locoregionally or at distant sites, radiotherapy has also become increasingly important at the metastatic phase. Data on the optimal sequence of systemic treatments and metastasis-directed treatments including stereotactic irradiation are still lacking. Several randomized head and neck trials have been initiated that should provide important answers, including one recent GORTEC trial.

Basic concepts and directions in the radiation therapy quality assurance processes of clinical trials

The radiation therapy quality assurance of clinical trials is internationally recognized as a key factor to control the quality of radiotherapy for its impact on clinical trial's goals. Quality assessment may be performed at different levels and by different means, which are now quite standardized. The optimal radiation therapy quality assurance of clinical trials trade-off to maintain accrual rates, radiotherapy quality and optimize clinical trial research processes is yet to be defined. This article addresses current definitions, processes, limitations and directions.

[Clinical research in radiotherapy oncology in private sector: A reality with a possible future?]

Clinical research is one of the activities of medical practice, particularly in oncology including radiotherapy. It was developed in the public sector and then in the liberal sector, in compliance with regulatory institutions, resulting in a doubling of inclusions over the last decade. Setting up and developing clinical research in the liberal sector are major axes in terms of interests: improving the proposition of care, access to innovation, to keep patients, intellectual stimulation, encouraging recruitment, activity of scientific publications, financial valorisation, quality of visibility… An inventory on French national territory via the national union of iadiotherapists oncologists (SNRO) and the club of liberal oncologists (Colib) is reported in this article, as well as examples of structuring and organization.

Practice changing data and emerging concepts from recent radiation therapy randomised clinical trials

INTRODUCTION

Oncology treatments are constantly and rapidly evolving. We aimed at highlighting the latest radiation therapy practice changing trials and emerging concepts, through an overview of recent randomised clinical trials (RCTs).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Requests were performed in the Medline database to identify all publications reporting radiation therapy RCTs from 2018 to 2021.

RESULTS

Recent RCTs sustained the role of newer combinatorial strategies through radioimmunotherapy for early stage or metastatic lung cancer, newer pro-apoptotic agents (e.g. debio 1143 in locoregionally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma) or nanoparticles (e.g. NBTXR3 in locally advanced soft-tissue sarcoma). High-tech radiotherapy allows intensifying treatments and gaining ground in some indications through the development of stereotactic body radiotherapy for example. First randomised evidence on personalised radiation therapy through imaging-based (¹⁸FDG positron emission tomography-computed tomography for lung cancer or early stage unfavourable Hodgkin lymphoma, PMSA positron emission tomography-computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging for high-risk prostate cancer) or biological biomarkers (PSA for prostate cancer, HPV for head and neck cancer, etc) were conducted to more tailored treatments, with more favourable outcomes. Patients' quality of life and satisfaction appeared to be increasing aims. RCTs have validated (ultra)hypofractionated schemes in many indications as for breast, prostate or rectal cancer, resulting in equivalent outcomes and toxicities, more convenient for patients and favouring shared decision making.

CONCLUSION

Radiation therapy is a dynamic field of research, and many RCTs have greatly impacted therapeutic standards over the last years. Investments in radiotherapy research should facilitate the transfer of innovation to clinic.