Precision radiation aims to tame scattered tumors
NCT ID NCT02933242
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests a precise type of radiation called SABR for people with a limited number of metastatic tumors (up to 5). The goal is to see how well patients tolerate the treatment and how it affects their quality of life and survival. About 399 participants will receive daily or every-other-day radiation over 1–3 weeks, with follow-up to track side effects and cancer control.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that precisely targeted radiation improves quality of life and controls limited metastases without major side effects.
- What could go wrong
- This is a non-randomized, single-arm study, so results may not prove SABR is better than standard care. Side effects depend on the organ treated and could be serious.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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399 people
The number who actually took part.
- Start date
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Nov 2016
- Expected to finish
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Jul 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Able to provide informed consent * Histologically confirmed malignancy with metastatic disease detected on imaging. * Biopsy of metastasis is preferred, but not required. * Primary tumour treated radically or controlled by prior palliative radiotherapy or systemic therapy * Maximum 5 metastases eligible for SABR (either 5 in total or 5 not controlled by prior treatment) * Standard of care tests prior to SABR CT simulation within 14 weeks: * Brain CT or MRI imaging (for tumour sites with propensity for brain metastasis) * Body imaging: * CT chest/abdomen/pelvis, with or without bone scan (at discretion of study doctor), required if no PET-CT is performed * PET-CT or PSMA-PET is only required for specific evidence-based indications, and in such cases the CT neck/chest/abdomen/pelvis and bone scan are not required: * MRI spine for patients with vertebral or paraspinal metastases * For other indications, at the discretion of the treating oncologists, e.g. PET-CT scans may be done but are not required. * Blood tests as per standard of care * Pregnancy test for women of child-bearing age * ECOG performance status 0-2 * All sites of progressive disease can be safely treated based on criteria below * For non-brainstem mets, maximum size of 3cm if using single fraction radiosurgery. * If size is from 3.1 to 4cm, 25-35Gy/5 can be considered * All brain metastases cases need approval from Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) rounds * Maximum size of 6 cm for lesions outside the brain, except: * Bone metastases over 6 cm may be included, if in the opinion of the local PI it can be treated safely (e.g. rib, scapula, pelvis) * Life expectancy \> 6 months * In many scenarios, this is best estimated by a multidisciplinary opinion from disease site experts, often obtained by presentation at multidisciplinary tumours rounds. * Not a candidate for surgical resection at all sites: surgery to all sites not recommended by multidisciplinary team, or unfit or declining surgery. * No chemotherapy agents (cytotoxic, or molecularly targeted agents) will be used within the period of time commencing 2 weeks prior to radiation, lasting until 1 week after the last fraction. Certain chemotherapy agents may require a longer break prior to or after SABR if protocols dictate. Hormonal therapy during SABR is allowed. * Patients with metastases that have been previously treated may be eligible for this SABR protocol: * If the previous treatment was systemic therapy, the patient may be eligible, if the metastases have demonstrated a complete radiologic response * If the previous treatment was by a local non-radiation means (e.g. prior resection, RFA or microwave ablation), then SABR may be considered for residual/recurrent disease * If the previous treatment was SABR, the patient is not eligible unless the new site(s) was/were not previously treated * If the previous treatment was conventional RT, SABR could be considered if it can be delivered safely. In such a circumstance it must be presented in a multidisciplinary setting for approval. * Review and consensus by 3 disease site experts, or tumour group conference, for eligibility/prognosis Patients must be able and willing to complete quality of life questionnaires in English, and other assessments that are a part of this study, via paper or online using REDCap (if email address is provided by participant on the informed consent) Note: The potential treating SABR radiation oncologist reserves the right to require a multidisciplinary note documenting life expectancy, other treatment options and suitability for SABR. Exclusion Criteria: * Serious medical co-morbidities precluding radiotherapy * Bone metastasis in a femoral bone if risk of pending fracture is high * Participants with 1-3 brain metastasis and no disease elsewhere (these participants should not be accrued but treated with stereotactic radiotherapy as per results of published randomized trials) * Complete response to first-line chemotherapy (i.e. no measurable target for SABR) * Persistent malignant pleural effusion * Inability to treat all sites of active disease with ablative intent * Clinical or radiological evidence of spinal cord compression * Dominant brain metastasis requiring surgical decompression * a candidate for a clinical trial that randomizes between SABR and a standard treatment * Pregnant or lactating women
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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BC Cancer
Prince George, British Columbia, V2M 7E9, Canada
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