Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) for Patients With Rectal Cancer

May 19, 2026 updated by: Theodore Sunki Hong, Massachusetts General Hospital

A Phase II Study of Neoadjuvant Short Course Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) for Patients With Rectal Cancer: An Analysis of Quality of Life and Biomarkers of Response

This study will investigate short course radiation therapy using IMRT as an alternative to standard chemo radiation because prior studies have shown that this method of treatment will potentially reduce some fo the side effects of standard treatment, improve quality of life, and help to control the growth of rectal cancer cells. IMRT is a type of radiation that uses computer-generated images to match radiation to the size and shape of the tumor. Since the intensity of each radiation beam can be controlled, the radiation dose can wrap around normal tissue which allows the study doctor to deliver a higher dose of radiation to the tumor with less damage to nearby healthy tissue. The purpose of this research study is to see what impact this treatment will have on quality of life, as well as to see if there are any late side effects that come about after the participant has completed the treatment.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Terminated

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

  • Radiation treatment to the rectum will be given once a day, for 5 days. Each radiation treatment will take about 20-30 minutes.
  • The following procedures will be performed on day 1 of radiation treatment: physical examination, blood tests and quality of life questionnaire.
  • During radiation treatment a physical examination will be performed once during the 5 days of radiation treatment. A Quality of Life Questionnaire will be administered on the last day of radiation treatment.
  • Surgery will be performed within 3-14 days after the last day of radiation treatment.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
2

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02114
        • Massachusetts General Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Histologically or cytologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the rectum
  • T3 or N+ disease by MRI or endoscopic ultrasound. Metastatic disease is permitted, except for known brain metastases, as long as local treatment with RT and surgery is recommended.
  • Prior chemotherapy is permitted. For patients who have previously received bevacizumab, the last dose must be greater than 4 weeks prior to initiation of radiation therapy.
  • 18 years of age or older
  • Life expectancy of greater than 3 months
  • ECOG (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group) Performance Status of 0, 1 or 2
  • Normal organ and marrow function as outlined in the protocol
  • Women of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use of adequate contraception prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pelvic radiotherapy prior to entering the study or those who have not recovered from adverse events due to agents administered more than 4 weeks earlier
  • Participants may not be receiving any other investigational agents. Patients may not be receiving any other treatment for their rectal cancer during study participation
  • Participants with known brain metastases are excluded from this clinical trial because of their poor prognosis and because they often develop progressive neurologic dysfunction that would confound the evaluation of neurologic and other adverse events
  • History of known radiation sensitivity syndrome
  • History of inflammatory bowel disease
  • Active scleroderma or CREST syndrome
  • Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements
  • Pregnant or nursing women

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Short course IMRT
Patients will receive short course IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy) prior to surgery. Dose will be 5 Gy x 5, followed by surgery the week after
Radiation: Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy once a day for 5 days
Other Names:
  • IMRT

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Bowel Quality of Life
Time Frame: 2 years
To determine the rate of fecal incontinence at 1 year in patients undergoing an low anterior resection (LAR), as measured by bowel quality of life measure after preoperative conformal radiation therapy delivered in one week for rectal cancer.
2 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Pelvic Control Rate
Time Frame: 2 years
To determine the pelvic control rate of patients after short course radiation therapy and surgery.
2 years
Surgical Complication Rate
Time Frame: 2 years
To determine the surgical complication rate in patients who received preoperative radiation therapy.
2 years
Tissue Microarray
Time Frame: 2 years
To determine changes in the tumor induced by radiation as assessed by tissue microarray.
2 years
Quantity of Circulating Tumor Cells
Time Frame: 2 years
To determine the impact of radiation and surgery on quantity of circulating tumor cells in both metastatic and non-metastatic patients.
2 years
Accuracy
Time Frame: 2 years
To determine the accuracy of advanced MRI imaging and PET (Positron Electron Tomography) /CT in predicting nodal stage.
2 years

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Massachusetts General Hospital

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Brigham and Women's Hospital

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Theodore S. Hong, MD, Massachusetts General Hosptial

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
March 1, 2010

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
April 1, 2014

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
April 1, 2014

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
June 18, 2010

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 18, 2010

First Posted (Estimated)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
June 22, 2010

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 12, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 19, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 09-157

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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