Palliative Radiation for Advanced Cervical Cancer

NCT ID: NCT03997110

Last Updated: 2025-08-20

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 230 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2020-06-19
• Study Completion Date: 2026-01-01

Brief Summary

The present study is proposed to compare a rapid fractionation schedule of 1 week compared to a protracted schedule of 6-8 weeks for palliation for locally advanced cervical cancer.

Detailed Description

This is a prospective randomised open label Phase III study. This study is is proposed to compare a rapid fractionation schedule of 1 week compared to a protracted schedule of 6-8 weeks for palliation for locally advanced cervical cancer. The primary objective of the study is pain relief in the experimental arm as compared to the control arm from treatment until 12 weeks from start of radiotherapy. Patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (Stage III B-IV A) deemed unsuitable for full course radical pelvic radiotherapy or chemoradiation, patients whose anticipated survival is less than 12 months will be included in the study. Patients with distant metastasis and those with retroviral disease will be excluded from the study. The patients will be randomised in one of the two groups:

Arm A : Control Arm - Long Course Palliative Radiation: Week 1: All the patients will receive external sitting of radiation treatment, first fraction of 10 Gy. Week 4: All the patients will receive external sitting of radiation treatment, second fraction of 10 Gy. Week 7: Patients who have almost complete clinical response will be evaluated for brachytherapy will receive the appropriate brachytherapy procedure depending on the tumor response to a dose of 6-8Gy x 2-3#.The patients which will be found unsuitable for brachytherapy will receive another sitting of external radiation, third fraction of 10 Gy. Week 12: After treatment completion response assessment will be done using following parameters: • Pain assessment using numerical pain rating scale on 0-10 • Vaginal bleeding- yes/ no • Vaginal discharge- yes/no • Analgesic use- WHO ladder and dosing • QOL QC30, QLQC15 Pall, QLQC Cervix 24 • Disease response • Acute toxicity.

Arm B: Experimental arm- Short Course Palliative radiation. Week 1: Patients will be treated with short course radiotherapy (25Gy/5#). The dose fractionation of 25 Gy in 5# over a week will be used. Week 4: Patients who have almost complete clinical response will be evaluated for brachytherapy will receive the appropriate brachytherapy procedure depending on the tumor response to a dose of 6-8Gy x 2-3#. The patients who will be found unsuitable for brachytherapy will be kept under observation. Week 12: After treatment completion response assessment will be done using following parameters: • Pain assessment using numerical pain rating scale on 0-10 • Vaginal bleeding- yes/no • Vaginal discharge- yes/ no • Analgesic use- WHO ladder and dosing • QOL QC30, QLQC15 Pall, QLQC Cervix 24 • Disease response • Acute toxicity. Follow up: Patients follow up will be utilizing standard of care imaging and lab investigations used for the patients. Patients will be evaluated every 3 months for the study duration.There is no potential direct benefit to the study participants. However the aim is to use the available information to evolve treatment in future. The variables to be estimated are pain relief, disease related symptoms relief, CTCAE Toxicity, Quality of Life,overall survival and compliance to therapy.

Conditions

Cervical Cancer

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Arm A Or Control Arm- Long course palliative treatment.

Week1: All the patients will receive external sitting of radiation treatment, first fraction of 10 Gy. Week4: All the patients will receive external sitting of radiation treatment, second fraction of 10 Gy. Week7: Patients who have almost complete clinical response will be evaluated for brachytherapy will receive the appropriate brachytherapy procedure depending on the tumor response to a dose of 6-8Gy x 2-3#.The patients who will be found unsuitable for brachytherapy will receive another sitting of external radiation, third fraction of 10 Gy. Week 12: After treatment completion response assessment will be done using following parameters: • Pain assessment using numerical pain rating scale on 0-10 • Vaginal bleeding- yes/ no • Vaginal discharge- yes/no • Analgesic use- WHO ladder and dosing • QOL QC30, QLQC15 Pall, QLQC Cervix 24 • Disease response • Acute toxicity

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Long course palliative treatment.

Intervention Type: RADIATION

Week1: All the patients will receive external sitting of radiation treatment, first fraction of 10 Gy. Week4: All the patients will receive external sitting of radiation treatment, second fraction of 10 Gy. Week7: Patients who have almost complete clinical response will be evaluated for brachytherapy will receive the appropriate brachytherapy procedure depending on the tumor response to a dose of 6-8Gy x 2-3#.The patients who will be found unsuitable for brachytherapy will receive another sitting of external radiation, third fraction of 10 Gy. Week 12: After treatment completion response assessment will be done using following parameters: • Pain assessment using numerical pain rating scale on 0-10 • Vaginal bleeding- yes/ no • Vaginal discharge- yes/no • Analgesic use- WHO ladder and dosing • QOL QC30, QLQC15 Pall, QLQC Cervix 24 • Disease response • Acute toxicity

Arm B or Experimental Arm-Short course palliative radiation.

Week 1: Patients in the experimental arm will be treated with short course radiotherapy (25Gy/5#). The dose fractionation of 25 Gy in 5# over a week will be used. Week 4: Patients who have almost complete clinical response will be evaluated for brachytherapy will receive the appropriate brachytherapy procedure depending on the tumor response to a dose of 6-8Gy x 2-3#. The patients who will be found unsuitable for brachytherapy will be kept under observation. Week 12: After treatment completion, response assessment will be done using following parameters: • Pain assessment using numerical pain rating scale on 0-10 • Vaginal bleeding- yes/no • Vaginal discharge- yes/ no • Analgesic use- WHO ladder and dosing • QOL QC30, QLQC15 Pall, QLQC Cervix 24 • Disease response • Acute toxicity. Follow up: Patients follow up will be utilizing standard of care imaging and lab investigations used for the patients. Patients will be evaluated every 3 months for the study duration.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Short course palliative radiation.

Intervention Type: RADIATION

Week 1: Patients in the experimental arm will be treated with short course radiotherapy (25Gy/5#). The dose fractionation of 25 Gy in 5# over a week will be used. Week 4: Patients who have almost complete clinical response will be evaluated for brachytherapy will receive the appropriate brachytherapy procedure depending on the tumor response to a dose of 6-8Gy x 2-3#. The patients who will be found unsuitable for brachytherapy will be kept under observation. Week 12: After treatment completion, response assessment will be done using following parameters: • Pain assessment using numerical pain rating scale on 0-10 • Vaginal bleeding- yes/no • Vaginal discharge- yes/ no • Analgesic use- WHO ladder and dosing • QOL QC30, QLQC15 Pall, QLQC Cervix 24 • Disease response • Acute toxicity. Follow up: Patients follow up will be utilizing standard of care imaging and lab investigations used for the patients. Patients will be evaluated every 3 months for the study duration.

Interventions

Short course palliative radiation.

Week 1: Patients in the experimental arm will be treated with short course radiotherapy (25Gy/5#). The dose fractionation of 25 Gy in 5# over a week will be used. Week 4: Patients who have almost complete clinical response will be evaluated for brachytherapy will receive the appropriate brachytherapy procedure depending on the tumor response to a dose of 6-8Gy x 2-3#. The patients who will be found unsuitable for brachytherapy will be kept under observation. Week 12: After treatment completion, response assessment will be done using following parameters: • Pain assessment using numerical pain rating scale on 0-10 • Vaginal bleeding- yes/no • Vaginal discharge- yes/ no • Analgesic use- WHO ladder and dosing • QOL QC30, QLQC15 Pall, QLQC Cervix 24 • Disease response • Acute toxicity. Follow up: Patients follow up will be utilizing standard of care imaging and lab investigations used for the patients. Patients will be evaluated every 3 months for the study duration.

Intervention Type: RADIATION

Long course palliative treatment.

Week1: All the patients will receive external sitting of radiation treatment, first fraction of 10 Gy. Week4: All the patients will receive external sitting of radiation treatment, second fraction of 10 Gy. Week7: Patients who have almost complete clinical response will be evaluated for brachytherapy will receive the appropriate brachytherapy procedure depending on the tumor response to a dose of 6-8Gy x 2-3#.The patients who will be found unsuitable for brachytherapy will receive another sitting of external radiation, third fraction of 10 Gy. Week 12: After treatment completion response assessment will be done using following parameters: • Pain assessment using numerical pain rating scale on 0-10 • Vaginal bleeding- yes/ no • Vaginal discharge- yes/no • Analgesic use- WHO ladder and dosing • QOL QC30, QLQC15 Pall, QLQC Cervix 24 • Disease response • Acute toxicity

Intervention Type: RADIATION

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

1. Locally advanced cervical cancer (Stage IIIB-IVA) deemed unsuitable for full course radical pelvic radiotherapy or chemoradiation due to the following reasons:

• Very large volume hard fixed disease infiltrating pelvic wall muscles and ligaments on clinical examination also classified clinically as "frozen pelvis" wherein curative intent treatment is not envisaged or feasible.
• Fistulous communication between tumour growth and rectum and bladder >2x2 cm in size (as judged by cystoscopy for bladder infiltration or clinical or proctosigmoidoscopy examination for rectal/sigmoid infiltration) wherein radical intent treatment is not intended or feasible and patient is not a candidate for pelvic exenteration.
• Deranged renal parameters as measured by Serum Creatinine >3 mg/dl wherein diversion nephrostomy is not planned by the multidisciplinary team due to anticipated poor clinical outcomes.Furthermore concurrence for palliative intent radiotherapy should be corroborated by 2 staff radiation oncologists.

2. Moderate to Severe Pain on Numerical Rating Score (Score 4 or higher).

3. Anticipated survival < 12 months.

4. Patients with stage IVB with local disease extent as described in section 1 but systemic chemotherapy is not possible either due to deranged renal function or anticipated poor tolerance.

Exclusion Criteria

1. Patients with distant metastasis needing upfront systemic therapy.

2. Presence of retroviral disease

3. Non-compliant for follow up.

4. Expected survival <3 months.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 75 Years
• Eligible Sex: FEMALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Tata Memorial Centre

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Tata Memorial Hospital

OTHER_GOV

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Supriya Sastri (chopra)

Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Supriya Sastri

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Tata Memorial Hospital

Locations

Tata Memorial Hospital

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

India

Central Contacts

Supriya Chopra

Role: CONTACT

supriyasastri@gmail.com

02227405000 ext. 5113

TMH Gyn DMG TMC

Role: CONTACT

gwg.tmc@gmail.com

02224177000 ext. 6038

Other Identifiers

TMH IRB 3157

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id