PURPOSE The oligometastatic paradigm hypothesizes that patients with a limited number of metastases may achieve long-term disease control, or even cure, if all sites of disease can be ablated. However, long-term randomized data that test this paradigm are lacking. METHODS We enrolled patients with a controlled primary malignancy and 1-5 metastatic lesions, with all metastases amenable to stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR). We stratified by the number of metastases (1-3 v 4-5) and randomized in a 1:2 ratio between palliative standard-of-care (SOC) treatments (arm 1) and SOC plus SABR (arm 2). We used a randomized phase II screening design with a primary end point of overall survival (OS), using an α of .20 (wherein P < .20 indicates a positive trial). Secondary end points included progression-free survival (PFS), toxicity, and quality of life (QOL). Herein, we present long-term outcomes from the trial. RESULTS Between 2012 and 2016, 99 patients were randomly assigned at 10 centers internationally. The most common primary tumor types were breast (n = 18), lung (n = 18), colorectal (n = 18), and prostate (n = 16). Median follow-up was 51 months. The 5-year OS rate was 17.7% in arm 1 (95% CI, 6% to 34%) versus 42.3% in arm 2 (95% CI, 28% to 56%; stratified log-rank P = .006). The 5-year PFS rate was not reached in arm 1 (3.2%; 95% CI, 0% to 14% at 4 years with last patient censored) and 17.3% in arm 2 (95% CI, 8% to 30%; P = .001). There were no new grade 2-5 adverse events and no differences in QOL between arms. CONCLUSION With extended follow-up, the impact of SABR on OS was larger in magnitude than in the initial analysis and durable over time. There were no new safety signals, and SABR had no detrimental impact on QOL.
Background
Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) has emerged as a new treatment option for patients with oligometastatic disease. SABR delivers precise, high-dose, hypofractionated radiotherapy, and achieves excellent rates of local control for primary tumors or metastases. A recent randomized phase II trial evaluated SABR in a group of patients with a small burden of oligometastatic disease (mostly with 1–3 metastatic lesions), and found that SABR was associated with benefits in progression-free survival and overall survival. The goal of this phase III trial is to assess the impact of SABR in patients with 4–10 metastatic cancer lesions.
Methods
One hundred and fifty-nine patients will be randomized in a 1:2 ratio between the control arm (consisting of standard of care palliative-intent treatments), and the SABR arm (consisting of standard of care treatment + SABR to all sites of known disease). Randomization will be stratified by two factors: histology (Group 1: prostate, breast, or renal; Group 2: all others), and type of pre-specified systemic therapy (Group 1: immunotherapy/targeted; Group 2: cytotoxic; Group 3: observation). SABR is to be completed within 2 weeks, allowing for rapid initiation of systemic therapy. Recommended SABR doses are 20 Gy in 1 fraction, 30 Gy in 3 fractions, or 35 Gy in 5 fractions, chosen to minimize risks of toxicity. The primary endpoint is overall survival, and secondary endpoints include progression-free survival, time to development of new metastatic lesions, quality of life, and toxicity. Translational endpoints include assessment of circulating tumor cells, cell-free DNA, and tumor tissue as prognostic and predictive markers, including assessment of immunological predictors of response and long-term survival.
Discussion
This study will provide an assessment of the impact of SABR on clinical outcomes and quality of life, to determine if long-term survival can be achieved for selected patients with 4–10 oligometastatic lesions.
Trial registration
Clinicaltrials.gov identifier:
NCT03721341
. Date of registration: October 26, 2018.
Electronic supplementary material
The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-019-5977-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Uncertainty remains concerning the magnitude of symbiotic N fixation by the soybean crop [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] when grown under varied N management systems. For deriving further enlightenment on the issue, 15N‐enriched fertilizer was applied on two soybean isolines with objectives of measuring the fraction of N derived from symbiotic fixation, residual soil N and applied fertilizer N. Plant samples were collected at full bloom, beginning‐seed, and full‐maturity stages in a field experiment conducted at the University of Nebraska Field Lab on Sharpsburg soil (Typic Argiudoll) of 3.3% organic matter content. Nitrogen fertilizer was applied at rates of 45, 89, and 134 kg/ha at planting or at full bloom.
Nitrogen fertilization had no significant influence on yield or N and oil concentration of the nodulating isoline seed but increased these parameters of the non‐nodulating isoline, with delay in N fertilization being distinctly advantageous. Fertilizer utilization percentage by both isolines at later growth stages increased as fertilizer rate increased, contrary to N utilization patterns of cereal crops.
“A ” value increases with increased N fertilizer rates suggested a soil N priming and/or root extension effect. Less plant N came from the soil with delayed N fertilizer application. Fertilizer applied at planting at rates above 45 kg N/ha reduced the symbiotically fixed N fraction, whereas delaying fertilizer application had no such influence at any rate of N employed.
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