Real-world evidence
MROQC ADT Practice Patterns
ForHigh-risk M0/N0-1 prostate on definitive RT, GG4-5 predominant
TL;DRGuideline-concordant ADT (≥18mo) recommended in 67.0% of high-risk pts on definitive RT; ARPI intensification just 23.2% of STAMPEDE-eligible.
The RT prescriber's read is the adoption gap, not a treatment effect: even in a quality consortium, only 67.0% of high-risk pts on definitive RT are recommended ≥18mo ADT, and just 23.2% of STAMPEDE-eligible get ARPI intensification. Facility-level variability persists on multivariable analysis (P<.0001), so where a man is treated, not only his risk, sets his ADT. Prompts an audit of your own duration and intensification practice.
8 details
Prospective practice-pattern study within the Michigan Radiation Oncology Quality Consortium (MROQC), a statewide RT registry. 553 pts across 26 centers, Jun 2020–Nov 2024. Facility modeled as a random intercept (mixed-effects).
Intact, high-risk M0/N0-1 prostate cancer on definitive RT. GG4-5 75.0%, PSA ≥20 40.0%, cN1 19.9%, cT3/4 13.3%. 27.9% met STAMPEDE M0 intensification criteria.
Primary: intended guideline-concordant ADT (≥18mo). Also assessed: ARPI adoption before vs after STAMPEDE M0 publication, facility-level variability, and multivariable predictors of concordance.
91.3% recommended any ADT, 67.0% guideline-concordant. ARPI intensification among STAMPEDE-eligible rose 0% → 23.2% post-publication. Facility variability persisted on MVA (P<.0001).
| Factor | OR (GC-ADT) | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| cN1 | 2.94 | 1.44-5.99 |
| GG4 | 6.23 | 2.85-13.62 |
| GG5 | 9.45 | 4.46-20.06 |
| PSA ≥40 | 3.64 | 1.22-10.87 |
Benchmarks real practice against the 2022 AUA/ASTRO guideline (18-36mo ADT) and STAMPEDE M0 (ARPI for high-burden high-risk). Documents a persistent adoption gap, not a treatment effect.
Captures intended ADT duration and recommendations, not delivered therapy or adherence. Single-state consortium limits generalizability, and there is no efficacy or outcome endpoint.
Descriptive practice-pattern audit (no efficacy endpoint); reinforces AUA/ASTRO ADT guideline and STAMPEDE M0 as benchmark, documenting under-adoption rather than testing a new effect.
In high-risk men (GG4-5, cN1, PSA ≥40, or ≥2 STAMPEDE factors) starting definitive RT, this supports benchmarking ADT to ≥18mo and weighing ARPI intensification when STAMPEDE-eligible; it does not extend to low/intermediate-risk disease or ADT-omission decisions.
- Does intended guideline-concordant ADT translate to delivered treatment and adherence?
- What interventions reduce facility-level variability in ADT recommendations?
- Do Michigan consortium patterns generalize to national practice?
📚 Sources · 📄 1 paper
Abstract
COMPPARE
ForDe novo localized prostate cancer, excl very-high-risk and metastatic
TL;DRProton vs IMRT: no difference in bowel urgency (6% vs 5.7%), ≥G2 GI tox, or 3-yr biochemical control in localized prostate.
The RT read is that rectal spacer use, not proton vs photon, moved GI toxicity: 2-yr G2+ fell to ~4.4-4.7% with a spacer vs 7.2-8.7% without (p=0.009), similar across modalities. Protons showed no toxicity or 3-yr biochemical-control edge, arguing against the proton premium for localized disease.
| Endpoint | IMRT | Proton | P |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel urgency (EPIC) | 6% | 5.7% | 0.28 |
| Bowel frequency (EPIC) | 4% | 3.5% | 0.43 |
| GI tox ≥G2 (CTCAE) | 5.6% | 5.2% | 0.60 |
| 3-yr FFDP (PSA) | 97.9% | 98.0% | 0.90 |
+1 more figure
| Group | 2-yr G2+ GI toxicity (95% CI) |
|---|---|
| IMRT, no spacer | 7.2% (5.0%, 9.9%) |
| Proton, no spacer | 8.7% (5.0%, 14%) |
| IMRT, spacer | 4.4% (2.8%, 6.4%) |
| Proton, spacer | 4.7% (3.6%, 6.0%) |
6 details 5 trials watching
Prospective comparative effectiveness study (COMPPARE, PCORI-funded), non-randomized proton vs photon cohorts across 51 centers. 2524 accrued July 2018-October 2022. Early results, short follow-up.
De novo localized prostate cancer, excluding very-high-risk and metastatic. Proton cohort n=1500, photon (IMRT) cohort n=1000.
Proton therapy vs IMRT; rectal spacer use captured as a covariate (FDA-approved 2015). Dose/fractionation and target volume not reported in source.
Co-primary patient-reported bowel urgency and frequency (EPIC) and ≥G2 GI toxicity (CTCAE v5), each powered 90%. Exploratory: 3-yr freedom from PSA progression.
No significant proton advantage on any endpoint (all p ≥ 0.28). Observed toxicity fell far below design assumptions (hypothesized IMRT GI tox 29%, actual 5.6%).
Rectal spacer reduced 2-yr cumulative G2+ GI toxicity in both arms (p=0.009); the spacer effect exceeded any proton-vs-IMRT difference.
Directionally consistent with PARTIQoL (randomized proton vs IMRT, localized prostate), which found no bowel-QoL advantage for protons.
Non-randomized cohorts (selection bias, residual confounding); short follow-up leaves late GU/GI toxicity and long-term control unanswered; dose/fractionation not reported.
Prospective but non-randomized cohorts (selection bias); early results, short f/u leave late toxicity and long-term control open. Null aligns with randomized PARTIQoL non-superiority.
In localized prostate cancer (de novo, excluding very-high-risk and metastatic), these early data question routine proton use over IMRT for GI toxicity or 3-yr control; they do not yet speak to late toxicity or long-term outcomes.
- Late GU/GI toxicity beyond 3 years n=454 · primary completion 2025-12 · proton vs IMRT, side-effect head-to-headactive A Prospective Comparative Study of Outcomes With Proton and Photon Radiation in Prostate Cancer Phase NAn=3000 · primary completion 2026-02 · 3000-pt proton vs IMRT QOL + toxicity cohortn=400 · primary completion 2027-03 · proton vs photon, primary late GI toxicity
- Long-term biochemical and metastasis-free control with protons vs IMRT active A Prospective Comparative Study of Outcomes With Proton and Photon Radiation in Prostate Cancer Phase NAn=3000 · primary completion 2026-02 · proton vs IMRT cohorts, disease-control endpointn=303 · primary completion 2026-12 · proton vs IMRT hypofx, improve cancer control
📚 Sources · 🐦 1 tweet
#COMPPARE early results: in localized #ProstateCancer, #proton therapy vs #IMRT showed no sig difference in pt-reported bowel urgency/frequency, ≥G2 GI toxicity, or 3-year biochemical control. Longer follow-up needed for late toxicity/long term outcomes #ASCO2026 pic.twitter.com/yli4l8nEOY
— QianJanieQin (@QianJanieQin) May 31, 2026
OCEANUS
ForAdvanced/refractory NSCLC on immunoradiotherapy, median age 64, 74% male
TL;DRSequential iRT beat concurrent for real-world OS in newly-dx advanced NSCLC: median 20.3 vs 16.0 mo, HR 0.68 (0.47-0.99), P=.045.
Sequential iRT (ICI and RT not overlapping) beat concurrent for real-world OS in newly-dx advanced NSCLC, HR 0.68 (0.47-0.99), P=.045, favoring temporal separation of RT from ICI. RT dose, fractionation, and target volume aren't in the source, so the signal can't yet transfer to a specific plan. The refractory RT+ICI-maintenance read was NS (P=.20).
7 details 1 trial watching
Territory-wide real-world cohort (OCEANUS, Hong Kong CDARS, >90% population coverage); NSCLC diagnosed 2010-2021 who received iRT. Overlap-weighting propensity score primary, IPTW sensitivity; landmark-based OS with weighted Kaplan-Meier and Cox (restricted mean survival time where PH violated).
335 of 3522 ICI-treated pts received RT: 155 newly-dx advanced, 180 refractory. Median age 64 (34-90), 73.7% male. Refractory analysis required survival ≥90 days (landmark).
RT dose, fractionation, modality, and target volume not reported in source. The variable studied is timing of RT relative to ICI (sequential vs concurrent), not technique.
Both comparisons favored the sequential / ICI-maintenance arm (magnitudes in table). Chemotherapy was associated with longer OS in newly-dx pts only; not significant in refractory disease.
| Setting / comparison | Experimental OS | Control OS | HR / P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newly-dx advanced, sequential vs concurrent iRT | 20.3 mo (95% CI 13.3-NR) | 16.0 mo (95% CI 8.3-30.0) | HR 0.68 (0.47-0.99), P=.045 |
| Refractory, RT + ICI maintenance vs RT alone | 11.2 mo (95% CI 7.9-20.6) | 6.7 mo (95% CI 4.4-17.4) | P=.20 (ns) |
Randomized data on iRT sequencing in advanced NSCLC are limited (stated by authors). RT-before-ICI direction is consistent with the PACIFIC consolidation paradigm, but PACIFIC treated curative-intent unresectable stage III with concurrent chemoRT, a different population.
Observational: sequential vs concurrent not randomized, residual confounding by indication despite weighting. Small subgroups (155 newly-dx). Refractory comparison non-significant (P=.20).
Observational real-world cohort; sequential-vs-concurrent not randomized, confounding by indication despite propensity weighting. Small subgroups (155 newly-dx). Authors label it hypothesis-generating.
In newly-diagnosed advanced NSCLC starting immunoradiotherapy, this real-world signal supports separating RT from ICI in time rather than delivering them concurrently; it does not extend to refractory disease, where the RT-plus-ICI-maintenance benefit was not significant.
- Optimal RT-ICI sequencing (sequential vs concurrent) in advanced NSCLC active PD-1 Inhibitor and Chemotherapy With Concurrent Irradiation at Varied Tumour Sites in Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Phase 3n=327 · primary completion 2026-12 · phase 3 concurrent RT+PD-1 in stage IIIB/IV NSCLC
- Value of ICI maintenance after RT in refractory NSCLC
📚 Sources · 📄 1 paper
Abstract
DBCG IMN2 NCT06549920
ForNode-positive breast cancer, incl. 1-3 positive nodes; no neoadjuvant therapy
HR 0.85
95% CI 0.76-0.94, p=0.0016; 15yr OS 65.0% vs 60.8%
TL;DR15yr OS 65.0% vs 60.8% with IMNI, adjusted HR 0.85 (0.76-0.94); benefit persists under modern systemic therapy and 3D RT.
The 1-3 positive-node subgroup is the RT read: IMNI benefit held at the lowest nodal burden, no subgroup found for omission, moving elective IMN coverage where guidelines diverge. Reassuring on toxicity too: 15yr ischemic/valvular cardiac death 0.2% (right/IMNI) vs 0.7% (left) under 3D planning.
8 details 4 trials watching
Prospective nationwide population-based cohort, N=4541, 6 RT centres, treated 2007-14. IMNI assigned by tumour laterality: right-sided → IMNI, left-sided → no IMNI. Median follow-up 13.7 yr.
Node-positive breast cancer, including the 1-3 positive-node low-burden group. Excluded prior malignancy, bilateral cancer, neoadjuvant systemic therapy, pre-RT recurrence, non-standard RT.
Modern systemic backbone: taxane chemotherapy, trastuzumab, aromatase inhibitors, the era hypothesized to shrink absolute IMNI gain.
3D-based RT. IMNI delivered to right-sided tumours only; laterality allocation balances cardiac dose. Dose/fractionation not reported in source.
Primary: overall survival. Secondary: breast cancer mortality, distant metastasis.
IMNI improved all three endpoints (see table). Absolute 15yr OS gain 4.2% (65.0% vs 60.8%).
| Endpoint | Adjusted HR (95% CI) | p |
|---|---|---|
| Overall survival | 0.85 (0.76-0.94) | 0.0016 |
| Breast cancer mortality | 0.84 (0.74-0.95) | 0.0077 |
| Distant metastasis | 0.87 (0.78-0.98) | 0.026 |
| Study | Design | Signal |
|---|---|---|
| DBCG IMN1 (2003-07) | prospective cohort, n=3089 | +4.7% abs OS, f/u 14.8yr |
| EBCTCG meta-analysis | n=12,167 | +3% abs 15yr survival, regional node RT |
| Korean KROG 06-08 | 3D-RT, modern systemic | negative for IMNI |
Confirms DBCG IMN1 (+4.7% abs OS at 14.8 yr) and the EBCTCG meta-analysis (+3% abs 15yr survival, regional node RT); contradicts the negative Korean KROG 06-08 in the modern-therapy era.
Non-randomized: IMNI assigned by tumour laterality rather than randomization, so residual confounding is possible despite balanced baseline characteristics.
Large prospective laterality-allocated cohort, not randomized; confirms IMN1 + EBCTCG that IMNI benefit persists with modern systemic therapy. Non-random design caps it below practice-changing.
In node-positive breast cancer treated with upfront surgery then modern systemic therapy, especially 1-3 positive nodes, this supports including internal mammary nodes in the RT target; it does not extend to neoadjuvant-treated pts, who were excluded.
- Randomized confirmation of IMNI benefit in 1-3 node patients active Postmastecomy Internal Mammary Nodal Irradiation for High-risk Breast Cancer Patients Phase 3n=2400 · primary completion 2025-11 · phase 3 randomizing IMNI vs none, DFS endpoint
- IMNI value in neoadjuvant-treated patients (excluded here) recruiting Internal Mammary Lymph Nodes Irradiation in High-risk Breast Cancer After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Phase 3n=722 · primary completion 2032-07 · phase 3 IMNI vs none in post-NACT ypN+ pts
- IMNI cardiac safety with modern breath-hold or proton planning recruiting Robustness Evaluation of Deep Inspiration Breath-Hold (DIBH) Plans in Internal Mammary Irradiationn=25 · primary completion 2026-12 · DIBH plan OAR dose in IMN irradiationn=750 · primary completion 2027-12 · IMPT vs IMRT toxicity, heart among key OARs
📚 Sources · 📄 1 paper
Tumour bed boost after BCS + WBRT
ForPost-BCS invasive breast cancer treated with WBRT, Dutch cohort 2012-2016
TL;DR10-yr IBTR 1.2% no-boost vs 1.2% boost in 0-2 risk factors; boost omission viable in modern systemic era.
The boost arm carries HIGHER crude IBTR at every stratum (10-yr 3.3% vs 2.7% at ≥3 RF), which is confounding by indication, not harm, and it means these data cannot estimate boost efficacy at all. What they do support is a floor: with 0-2 risk factors, 10-yr IBTR is 1.2% either way, so the omission decision rests on that absolute rate.
| Risk factors | N no boost | N boost | 5-yr no boost | 5-yr boost | 10-yr no boost | 10-yr boost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-2 | 15,085 | 13,845 | 0.6% | 0.7% | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| ≥ 3 | 149 | 733 | 1.3% | 2.9% | 2.7% | 3.3% |
| Uncertain | 592 | 944 | 0.8% | 3.3% | 1.4% | 3.6% |
+2 more figures
9 details
Dutch population-based cohort (DBRT / Netherlands Cancer Registry linkage) of breast-conserving treatment, 2012-2016. Non-randomised: boost use reflects clinician risk assessment, not allocation.
Breast conserving treatment with or without an RT boost. Strata by number of risk factors: 0-2 (15,085 no boost / 13,845 boost), ≥3 (149 / 733), uncertain (592 / 944).
Whole-breast RT with or without tumour bed boost. No dose, fractionation, boost technique, or target-volume detail reported in source.
Primary: ipsilateral breast tumour recurrence (IBTR), histologically confirmed via a pathology-report text/code algorithm. Cumulative incidence reported at 5 and 10 years by risk-factor count.
Low IBTR across every subgroup. Only the ≥3 risk-factor boost group crossed an Assisi threshold at 10 years (3.3%, vs the <3% bar).
EORTC 22881-10882 anchored the ~50% relative IBTR reduction from boost. Absolute IBTR here is an order of magnitude below that trial's era, which is the authors' argument that a relative halving now buys little absolute benefit.
Confounding by indication is the dominant issue: higher-risk pts got the boost, so crude boost-arm rates run higher. The ≥3 RF no-boost cell is 149 pts. 10-yr estimates on a 2012-2016 cohort are projected, and IBTR ascertainment was algorithmic.
Registry cohort with non-random boost allocation; confounding by indication and a 149-pt no-boost ≥3 RF stratum undercut the omission claim.
In post-BCS pts with 0-2 of the listed risk factors receiving WBRT, this supports discussing boost omission on absolute-risk grounds; it does not inform pts with ≥3 risk factors, where the ≥3 RF no-boost stratum is only 149 pts.
- Which ≥3 risk-factor subgroups actually gain from a boost
- Does boost omission hold with longer observed follow-up
- Boost value in pts with residual disease after neoadjuvant therapy
📚 Sources · 🐦 1 tweet
Day TWO of #ESTRO26 Coverage by OncoAlert 🚨
— OncoAlert (@OncoAlert) May 16, 2026
Is a boost to the tumour bed still indicated after breast-conserving surgery and whole-breast radiotherapy in the era of modern systemic therapy? Presented by Femke Froklage 🇳🇱 #RadOnc ☢️
We aimed to identify a subgroup of breast… pic.twitter.com/RqK5r9XPqW
OligoCare
ForOligometastatic solid tumors treated with SABR; prostate/NSCLC/CRC/breast…
TL;DRReal-world SABR local in-field progression 5.0% at 1yr, 11.4% at 3yrs across 2447 pts / 3533 lesions; CRC worst.
The histology split is the actionable read: CRC 3yr in-field failure 19.6% vs prostate 8.1%, despite CRC receiving the highest median dose per fraction. That argues for dose escalation or a combination strategy in CRC mets specifically, and it puts minimum PTV dose (not prescription dose) on the plan-review checklist.
| Primary | n | 1 year | 3 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorectal | 518 | 9.3% | 19.6% |
| Breast | 378 | 4.1% | 11.3% |
| NSCLC | 530 | 6.0% | 9.8% |
| Prostate | 1021 | 2.7% | 8.1% |
+2 more figures
10 details
EORTC OligoCare prospective real-world registry of SABR for oligometastatic disease, 57 institutions, accrual July 2019 to July 2025. Interim analysis; median follow-up 31 months (minimum 6).
2447 eligible pts with 3533 lesions. Median age 69 (28-94), 69% male. Primary tumors: prostate 1021 (42%), NSCLC 530 (22%), colorectal 518 (21%), breast 378 (15%).
SABR to metastatic sites; lesion locations were lung 807 (23%), non-vertebral bone 869 (25%), non-regional lymph node 558 (16%), spine 515, liver 306 (9%), brain 231 (7%), other 247 (7%). Minimum PTV dose correlated with outcome and is named the most critical technical factor; prescription dose and fractionation not reported in source.
Local in-field progression reported as cumulative incidence. No primary endpoint stated in the source; no survival or systemic-progression endpoints given here.
Local in-field progression 5.0% at 1 year and 11.4% (99% CI 10.0-12.9%) at 3 years, i.e. 88.6% local control at 3 years, 237 events among 2447 pts.
Colorectal primaries failed most (19.6% at 3 years) despite the highest median dose per fraction, which the authors read as relative radioresistance rather than underdosing and a case for dose escalation or combination approaches. De novo oligometastatic disease outperformed repeat OMD, attributed to higher delivered dose.
Registry design with no comparator arm and heterogeneous dose/fractionation across 57 centres; indication and selection bias are unaddressed in source. Safety and toxicity outcomes are not reported in the source content.
Large prospective multi-site registry with explicit histology-stratified analyses, but non-randomised and no comparator; supports rather than tests current oligomet SABR practice.
In a CRC oligomet being planned for SABR, this registry supports treating minimum PTV dose as the coverage constraint to scrutinize and sets a realistic ~1 in 5 three-year in-field failure expectation; it does not extend to unirradiated or non-oligometastatic disease.
- Optimal dose escalation strategy for colorectal oligometastases
- Minimum PTV dose threshold for durable local control
- Whether repeat OMD failure reflects dose or biology
📚 Sources · 🐦 1 tweet
📣 #ESTRO26 - @UmbertoRicardo e2irradiate @EORTC prospective OLIGOCARE registry of SABR for oligomets. ~2500 patients, ~3500 mets.
— Shankar Siva (@_ShankarSiva) May 17, 2026
➡️ local failure 5% at 1 year and 11% at 3 years
➡️ Colorectal cancer has higher risk of progression
➡️ minimum PTV dose correlated with outcome… pic.twitter.com/cx4zERqHhK