Can zapping multiple tumors with radiation extend life?
NCT ID NCT03721341
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This phase 3 trial tests whether giving high-precision radiation (SABR) to all visible cancer spots, along with standard treatments like chemo or immunotherapy, helps people with 4-10 metastases live longer. About 204 adults whose original tumor is under control are randomly assigned to SABR plus standard care or standard care alone. The study tracks survival, cancer progression, and quality of life.
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 radiotherapy (SABR)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that targeting all visible tumors with precise radiation improves survival and delays cancer progression in patients with multiple metastases.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-phase trial with only 204 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. SABR can cause side effects like fatigue or damage to nearby organs, and it is unclear if it will meaningfully extend life.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 3
Large-scale testing in a bigger group. Usually the last step before a treatment can be approved.
- Participants
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204 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Feb 2019
- Expected to finish
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Jan 2029
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: * Age 18 or older * Willing to provide informed consent * Karnofsky performance score greater than 60 * Life expectancy greater than 6 months * Histologically confirmed malignancy with metastatic disease detected on imaging. Biopsy of metastasis is preferred, but not required. * Controlled primary tumor defined as: at least 3 months since original tumor treated definitively, with no progression at primary site * Total number of metastases 4-10 * All sites of disease can be safely treated based on a pre-plan Exclusion Criteria: * Serious medical comorbidities precluding radiotherapy. These include interstitial lung disease in patients requiring thoracic radiation, Crohn's disease in patients where the GI tract will receive radiotherapy, and connective tissue disorders such as lupus or scleroderma. * For patients with liver metastases, moderate/severe liver dysfunction (Child Pugh B or C) * Substantial overlap with a previously treated radiation volume. Prior radiotherapy in general is allowed, as long as the composite plan meets dose constraints herein. For patients treated with radiation previously, biological effective dose calculations should be used to equate previous doses to the tolerance doses listed below. All such cases must be discussed with one of the study PIs. * Malignant pleural effusion * Inability to treat all sites of disease * Any single metastasis greater than 5 cm in size. * Any brain metastasis greater than 3 cm in size or a total volume of brain metastases greater than 30 cc. * Metastasis in the brainstem * Clinical or radiologic evidence of spinal cord compression * Dominant brain metastasis requiring surgical decompression * Metastatic disease that invades any of the following: GI tract (including esophagus, stomach, small or large bowel), mesenteric lymph nodes, or skin * 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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Alfred Health
Melbourne, Victoria, 3181, Australia
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BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver Island Centre
Victoria, British Columbia, V8R 4X1, Canada
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Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre
Glasgow, G12 0YN, United Kingdom
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Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal-CHUM
Montreal, Quebec, H2X 0C1, Canada
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Grand River Hospital
Kitchener, Ontario, N2G 1G3, Canada
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Health Sciences North
Greater Sudbury, Ontario, P3E 5J1, Canada
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London Regional Cancer Program of the Lawson Health Research Institute
London, Ontario, N6A 5W9, Canada
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Niagra Health System
St. Catharines, Ontario, L2S 0A9, Canada
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Nova Scotia Health Authortiy
Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3S 0H6, Canada
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Trillium Health Partners-Credit Valley Hospital
Mississauga, Ontario, L5M 2N1, Canada
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University Health Network
Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2C4, Canada
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University Hospital of Zürich
Zurich, 8091, Switzerland
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VU University Medical Centre
Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Western General Hospital
Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, United Kingdom
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