Subtitle
Setting the Stage: Feasibility and Baseline Characteristics in the PARTIQoL Trial Comparing Proton Therapy Versus Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy for Localized Prostate Cancer.
Published in the Red Journal, this is a report from the PARTIQoL trial focusing on describing the trial design, patient baseline features, clinical details of the trial, and strategies for improving feasibility of similar trials. Several key features of the trial design enabled the successful accrual were discussed including selecting low- to intermediate diseases excluding patients receiving ADT, a common cointervention confounding treatment outcomes; incorporating advanced treatment approaches such as moderate hypofractionation; securing insurance approval before randomization, and so forth. The authors conclude that the PARTIQoL trial has demonstrated the feasibility of conducting large-scale randomized comparison of PBT vs IMRT, with targeted patient-centric recruitment and retention approaches, thoughtful study design, use of modern RT standards, multicenter collaboration, payer engagement, and protocol updates to incorporate contemporary techniques.