Investigating a Shortened Course of Radiation Therapy for Soft Tissue Sarcomas Arising in the Abdomen and/or Pelvis, MARS Trial
This phase II trial evaluates the safety of delivering hypo-fractionated radiation therapy before surgery for treating patients with sarcomas of the abdomen or pelvis (abdominopelvic) or sarcoma of the abdomen or pelvis that has come back after a period of improvement (recurrent). Receiving radiation therapy followed by surgery for sarcomas of the abdomen or pelvis is standard of care treatment option for patients. However, standard radiation therapy consists of five to six weeks of daily radiation, which is a significant burden for patients. Hypo-fractionated radiation therapy is a type of radiation therapy in which the total prescribed dose of radiation is delivered in fewer but larger hypo-fractionated doses compared to standard radiation therapy. The safety of hypo-fractionated radiation therapy has been well established for other types of cancers but is not well-established for sarcomas of the abdomen or pelvis. Giving hypo-fractionated radiation therapy may be an effective treatment option for treating patients with sarcomas of the abdomen or pelvis or recurrent sarcomas of the abdomen or pelvis.