Optimising recruitment rates to radiotherapy clinical trials for patients with non-small cell lung cancer and brain metastases.

摘要

Sir - The median survival for patients with brain metastases who receive palliative whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) is 2-7 months [1]. The uncertainty surrounding the role of WBRT in the palliation of brain metastases is well documented and the need for clinical trials to address this issue was highlighted in the Royal College consensus statement 10 years ago [2]. It is estimated that 25 000 patients with lung cancer develop brain metastases each year in the UK. Two National Cancer Research Network (NCRN) multicentre randomised controlled trials aiming to optimise the treatment of brain metastases with WBRT in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), QUARTZ (NCT00403065) and TACTIC (NCT00554775), were opened for accrual in 2007/2008 [3]. However, despite the support of most radiotherapy centres in the UK, recruitment rates have been slow, with only 145 patients enrolled to QUARTZ and 63 to TACTIC by March 2010.