Overview
The SHiP-Rt Study aims to investigate the safety and efficacy of reducing the number of RT fractions and RT duration, compared to the current standard of care (36Gy in 12 fractions over 16 days), by using shortened hypofractionated accelerated palliative radiotherapy (30Gy in 6 alternate-day fractions), aided by contemporary RT planning, verification, and delivery techniques.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Age ≥ 18
- Patient has locally advanced (stage IIIB or IIIC) or metastatic (stage IV) NSCLC
- Patient is treatment naïve or had limited progression after first-line systemic therapy (using chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or targeted therapy)
- Patient is suitable for high dose palliative RT (36Gy in 12 or 39Gy in 13)
- Obtained written informed consent for the SHiP-Rt study.
- Patients receiving RT after first-line systemic therapy must have a wash-out period of at least 3 weeks (i.e., 3-4 weeks).
- Treatment naïve patients should be able to proceed to definitive systemic therapy without undue delay, i.e., within 3-4 weeks.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Contraindication for thoracic RT
- Requiring lung RT after second-line systemic therapy for NSCLC
- Has more than 1 cancer that is requiring active treatment
- On cytotoxic treatment for rheumatoid arthritis or connective tissue disorders
- Poor life expectancy, likely less than 6 months
- Patients with difficulty regarding compliance to the study treatment or follow-up
- Previous radiotherapy to the same area