Promising results for innovative radiotherapy treatment as CTC study gets virtual presentations
29 January 2021
When the 25th annual CTOS (Connective Tissue Oncology Society) meeting took place virtually at the end of last year (18-21 November), attendees had the opportunity to learn about a number of studies contributing to this particular branch of the global effort to treat cancer. One study presented was the CTC’s own phase II sarcoma trial, IMRiS.

IMRiS, open at sites in the UK between March 2017 and June 2020, looked to investigate whether Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) is a suitable treatment for bone and soft tissue sarcomas. These rare, cancerous tumours can have complicated shapes, and difficulty in matching the shape of radiation beams to the cancer can lead to damage in surrounding tissue when normal x-ray beams are used. 

IMRT beams are shaped more precisely, allowing for the delivery of higher radiotherapy doses to tumours at sites which would otherwise prove problematic; by sparing normal, non-cancerous tissues, this may help reduce the longer-term issues and side-effects which can arise when they are damaged. 

The target accrual was achieved for all cohorts and the target number of patients in the soft tissue sarcoma cohort was increased mid-trial after recruiting more quickly than expected.

A poster and supplementary audio recording by Chief Investigator Dr Beatrice Seddon summarising the IMRiS results were made available to all attendees. The initial results for the soft tissue sarcoma cohort of the trial demonstrated that IMRT for extremity soft tissue sarcomas results in less late normal tissue toxicity at 2 years than conventional treatment with 3D conformal radiotherapy. 

Next month, Dr Seddon will give a presentation on the IMRiS trial at the BSG (British Sarcoma Group) Virtual Conference 2021 (24–25 February), where a poster of the results for the soft tissue sarcoma cohort will also be shown to attendees.

IMRiS Trial Coordinator Shumona Shelly remarked: ‘These are promising results and demonstrate the potential benefits of IMRT treatment to the clinical trials community.’

Preliminary results from the bone sarcoma cohorts are expected later this year. The abstract submitted to the CTOS conference can be found here. For more information on the IMRiS trial, head over to the CTC trial pages.
Contact Us
Cancer Research UK & UCL Cancer Trials Centre
University College London
90 Tottenham Court Road
London
W1T 4TJ

View map
Email:
ctc.enquiries@ucl.ac.uk
Telephone:
+44 (0)20 7679 9898 (General CTC Enquiries)
Fax:
020 7679 9899
University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT +44 (0)20 7679 2000

Copyright © 2024 UCL | Disclaimer | Freedom of Information | Accessibility | Privacy | Cookies | Contact Us