Body Composition and Setup Errors in Radiotherapy (BODY-SET)

June 23, 2026 updated by: Chaoxing Liu, Shijiazhuang People's Hospital

The Impact of Body Composition on Setup Errors in Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy With Thermoplastic Mask Immobilization: A Single-Center Prospective Cohort Study

This single-center prospective cohort study investigates the association between body composition parameters and setup errors in 120-150 patients receiving radiotherapy with thermoplastic mask immobilization. Body composition (skeletal muscle mass, body fat percentage, phase angle, fat-free mass) will be measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis at baseline and at fraction 20. Setup errors (six degrees of freedom) will be recorded via daily cone-beam computed tomography. The primary outcome is the association between baseline body composition and setup errors. Secondary outcomes include the relationship between body composition changes during radiotherapy and setup error evolution, and identification of threshold values for clinically significant setup error increases. This study will provide evidence on whether body composition-beyond BMI-predicts radiotherapy setup accuracy, potentially enabling personalized immobilization and image-guided strategies.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

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.

Detailed Description

Radiotherapy is a cornerstone of cancer treatment, with approximately 50-70% of patients requiring radiotherapy during their disease course. Accurate patient positioning is essential for ensuring adequate target volume coverage while sparing organs at risk. Thermoplastic masks are among the most commonly used immobilization devices; however, setup reproducibility varies considerably among patients. Previous studies have demonstrated that patients with BMI ≥24 kg/m² exhibit significantly greater setup errors across multiple directions in breast, cervical, and thoracic cancers compared with normal-weight patients. However, BMI is a crude anthropometric measure that cannot distinguish between fat and muscle mass-two tissue types with fundamentally different mechanical properties that may affect mask fit and positional reproducibility. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) provides a non-invasive, convenient method for measuring body composition parameters, including skeletal muscle mass (SMM), body fat percentage (BFP), phase angle (PhA), and fat-free mass (FFM). Phase angle, in particular, reflects cell membrane integrity and cellular mass, and has been validated as a sensitive marker of muscle quality and nutritional status in cancer patients. However, the value of BIA-derived body composition parameters in predicting radiotherapy setup errors has not been systematically explored. This study is a single-center, prospective observational cohort study conducted at the Department of Radiation Oncology, Shijiazhuang People's Hospital, China. A total of 120-150 patients with pathologically confirmed malignancies receiving radical or adjuvant intensity-modulated radiotherapy (≥25 fractions) with thermoplastic mask immobilization will be enrolled. Body composition parameters will be measured using BIA at baseline (T0) and at fraction 20 (T1). Setup errors (six degrees of freedom: Tx, Ty, Tz, Rx, Ry, Rz) will be recorded via cone-beam computed tomography (week 1: 3 times; thereafter: weekly). The primary outcome is the association between baseline body composition parameters and setup errors. Secondary outcomes include the relationship between body composition changes and setup error evolution, and identification of threshold values for clinically significant setup error increases. Data will be analyzed using multiple linear regression and generalized estimating equations. Results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.

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.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

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.
150

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients with pathologically confirmed malignancies receiving radical or adjuvant intensity-modulated radiotherapy at Shijiazhuang People's Hospital.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Pathologically confirmed malignancy
  • Age ≥18 years
  • Receiving radical or adjuvant intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with planned ≥25 fractions
  • Immobilized with thermoplastic mask
  • ECOG Performance Status 0-2
  • Willing and able to provide written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Metal implants (pacemaker, artificial joints) affecting bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) measurements
  • Severe edema or ascites
  • Inability to cooperate with immobilization or CBCT scanning
  • Radiotherapy interruption >5 fractions
  • Pregnancy or lactation

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

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
High Muscle Mass Group
Patients with skeletal muscle mass above the sex-specific median
Low Muscle Mass Group
Patients with skeletal muscle mass below the sex-specific median

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
setup errors
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 6 months.
Six-degree-of-freedom setup errors (Tx, Ty, Tz, Rx, Ry, Rz) measured by cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT).
Through study completion, an average of 6 months.

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
Change in Skeletal Muscle Mass
Time Frame: Baseline and fraction 20 (approximately 4 weeks after baseline)
Change in skeletal muscle mass (SMM) from baseline (T0) to radiotherapy fraction 20 (T1), measured by multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). SMM is expressed in kilograms (kg).
Baseline and fraction 20 (approximately 4 weeks after baseline)
Change in Body Fat Percentage
Time Frame: Baseline and fraction 20 (approximately 4 weeks after baseline).
Change in body fat percentage (BFP) from baseline (T0) to radiotherapy fraction 20 (T1), measured by multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). BFP is expressed as a percentage (%).
Baseline and fraction 20 (approximately 4 weeks after baseline).
Change in Phase Angle
Time Frame: Baseline and fraction 20 (approximately 4 weeks after baseline)
Change in phase angle (PhA) from baseline (T0) to radiotherapy fraction 20 (T1), measured by multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). PhA is expressed in degrees (°).
Baseline and fraction 20 (approximately 4 weeks after baseline)
Change in Fat-Free Mass
Time Frame: Baseline and fraction 20 (approximately 4 weeks after baseline)
Change in fat-free mass (FFM) from baseline (T0) to radiotherapy fraction 20 (T1), measured by multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). FFM is expressed in kilograms (kg).
Baseline and fraction 20 (approximately 4 weeks after baseline)

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.
Shijiazhuang People'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: Chaoxing Liu, Dr, Shijiazhuang People's Hospital

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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 (Estimated)

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.
July 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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.
December 31, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
March 31, 2027

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, 2026

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 23, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

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 30, 2026

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 30, 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.
June 23, 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.
June 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.
  • SJZPH-RO-2026-001

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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.

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings