A Study of Radiation Therapy to Treat Solid Tumors That Spread to Soft Tissue

In the U.S.

Full Title

A Pilot Study of Spatially Fractionated Radiation Therapy in Patients With Extra-Cranial Soft Tissue Metastases

Purpose

Researchers in this study want to see how a new form of radiation therapy works to treat metastatic cancer. Metastatic means the cancer has spread to another part of the body from its original place. The people in this study have solid tumors that spread to soft tissues in the chest, abdomen (belly), or pelvis. In addition, they need radiation therapy to help control symptoms such as pain.

If you join this study, you will get a type of radiation therapy called stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). SBRT delivers very precise high-dose radiation and is a standard treatment. In addition, you will have a separate metastatic tumor treated with lattice radiation therapy (LRT). LRT creates a pattern of high-dose radiation alternating with areas of lower dose radiation. It is similar to poking holes into a tumor. (Standard SBRT delivers radiation therapy in an even pattern.)

LRT may be useful against cancer by boosting the activity of your immune cells and training them to fight tumor cells. In this study, researchers will see how well LRT works compared to SBRT. They will also look at how many immune cells can attack and kill tumor cells.