A new Australian multi-centre trial investigating the impact of MRI-guided radiotherapy on oligometastatic abdominal cancers is now open.
The study, AGITG MR STAR, is among the first globally to assess whether MRI-guided stereotactic radiotherapy is more effective in controlling cancer than standard CT-guided stereotactic radiotherapy.
“This clinical trial will be one of the first to evaluate whether MRI-guided radiotherapy can lead to better patient outcomes”, says radiation oncologist and MR STAR Study Chair Dr Trang Pham.
Limitations of CT-guided radiotherapy
Radiotherapy is typically delivered using linear accelerators (linacs), with CT imaging guiding the beam’s direction.
While radiotherapy plans are personalised, CT-guided radiotherapy is limited in its ability to adapt to changes in tumours, meaning patients often receive the same radiotherapy plan throughout their treatment.
There are also limitations in visualising tumours from surrounding healthy tissue. This can make treating tumours challenging when they are located near healthy organs such as the bowel. As a result, sometimes a lower, less effective dose of radiotherapy is delivered to avoid damaging healthy tissue.
An innovative new approach
MRI scans are better able to visualise tumours and surrounding healthy organs than CT scans.
While the theoretical benefits of MRI-guided stereotactic radiotherapy are known, MR STAR is testing whether these translate into improved outcomes for patients with oligometastatic abdominal cancers that can be difficult to treat.
Specifically, the study is exploring the use of a new technology known as a magnetic resonance imaging-linear accelerator (MRI-linac) which combines an MRI scanner and a linac.
This innovative approach could enable clinicians to better visualise the characteristics of a patient’s tumours in real-time. This offers the potential for better targeting of radiotherapy while avoiding nearby healthy tissue, plus the ability for radiotherapy to be adapted as tumours change over time.
This is significant, as enhanced visualisation and precision could enable the delivery of higher radiotherapy doses, improving the likelihood of effectively treating the cancer. Similarly, if MRI imaging shows areas likely to be resistant to treatment, these areas can then be targeted more intensely.
The hope is that this approach will not only improve treatment and survival outcomes, but quality of life too, allowing more patients to be pain-free with minimal side effects.
More about MR STAR
MR STAR has a recruitment target of 30 patients across two sites:
- GenesisCare St Vincent’s Sydney, New South Wales
- Austin Health, Victoria
AGITG MR STAR is sponsored by the AGITG and coordinated by Liverpool Radiation Oncology Clinical Research Unit.
This trial is funded by an AGITG Innovation Grant, made possible thanks to our dedicated community fundraisers and generous donors. Thank you for helping to make MR STAR a reality.