“Daily radiotherapy delivery over the course of five weeks can have a major impact on the everyday lives of many patients,” says PhD candidate Florine Foppele. “That inspired us to explore whether treatment duration can be reduced.”
The SCOPES program takes a step-by-step, methodologically rigorous approach. SCOPES-I is the first randomized phase II trial in soft tissue sarcoma to compare the current standard of preoperative radiotherapy with a shorter schedule. The study measures and evaluates medical outcomes as well as quality of life and treatment costs.
“We have used the standard schedule for more than two decades,” Foppele explains. “With SCOPES, we can now compare different schedules in a robust way, as well as capture their impact on the daily lives of our patients.”
The completion of patient inclusion in SCOPES-I and the start of SCOPES-II, investigating an even shorter regimen, reflect how new treatments are developed at the NKI. “We go beyond the critical review of existing care,” says Foppele. “Whenever results give us a reason to move forward, we immediately think about the next step. Thanks to our large, multidisciplinary team, we can easily translate innovative ideas into well-designed trials. Teamwork and a critical scientific mindset are essential in making this happen.”
Research at the NKI is financially supported by KWF Dutch Cancer Society and the AVL Foundation.