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Clinical trials are scientific studies in which new treatments are tested in patients to determine if they are effective and safe.

The Department of Radiation Oncology's clinical trials offer access to promising new therapies. Browse our clinical trials below, and click on the ClinicalTrials.gov number for more information.

Breast Program Trials
  • Pragmatic Randomized Trial of Proton vs. Photon Therapy for Patients with Non-Metastatic Breast Cancer: A Radiotherapy Comparative Effectiveness (RADCOMP) Consortium Trial
    • Goal: Review patients treated with locally advanced breast cancer randomized to either proton or photon therapy and followed for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, health-related quality of life, and cancer control outcomes.
    • Principal Investigator: Shannon MacDonald, MD (MGH Site PI)
    • ClinicalTrials.gov Number: NCT02603341
    • MGH Location(s) Available: Main Campus (Boston), Mass General/North Shore Cancer Center
    • How to Enroll: Please call (617) 724-1836 to make an appointment with Dr. MacDonald to see if you meet the study criteria.
  • The Differential Impact of Proton Beam Irradiation Versus Conventional Radiation on Organs-at-risk in Stage II-III Breast Cancer Patients
    • Goal: Serve as a correlative study for patients enrolled on the RadCOMP trial (NCT02603341), a randomized phase III study of stage II and III breast cancer patients treated with either conventional photon radiation or proton beam radiation.
    • Principal Investigator: Rachel Jimenez, MD
    • ClinicalTrials.gov Number: NCT03270072
    • MGH Location(s) Available: Main Campus (Boston)
    • How to Enroll: Please call (617) 643-0591 to make an appointment with Dr. Jimenez to see if you meet the study criteria
Central Nervous System Program Trials
  • A Phase II Randomized Trial of Proton vs. Photon Therapy (IMRT) for Cognitive Preservation in Patients with IDH Mutant, Low to Intermediate Grade Gliomas
    • Goal: To compare if proton beam radiation therapy is more effective than photon-based beam intensity-modulated radiation therapy in treating patients with glioma.
    • Principal Investigator: Helen Shih, MD
    • ClinicalTrials.gov Number: NCT03180502
    • MGH Location(s) Available: Main Campus (Boston)
    • How to Enroll: Please call (617) 724-1298 to make an appointment with Dr. Shih to see if you meet the study criteria.
  • Local Control, Quality of Life and Toxicities in Adults with Benign or Indolent Brain Tumors Undergoing Proton Radiation Therapy
    • Goal: To see how well the tumor is responding to Proton Radiation up to 5 years after the participant receives it and how this type of radiation affects the quality of life as well as any type of side effect the participant may have after the radiation is administered.
    • Principal Investigator: Helen Shih, MD
    • ClinicalTrials.gov Number: NCT03286335
    • MGH Location(s) Available: Main Campus (Boston)
    • How to Enroll: Please call (617) 724-1298 to make an appointment with Dr. Shih to see if you meet the study criteria.
  • Phase I Trial of Increased Dose Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy (IMPT) for High-Grade Meningiomas
    • Goal: Find out if using increased-dose intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) for treatment of Meningiomas will be more effective than the current treatment.
    • Principal Investigator: Helen Shih, MD
    • ClinicalTrials.gov Number: NCT02693990
    • MGH Location(s) Available: Main Campus (Boston)
    • How to Enroll: Please call (617) 724-1298 to make an appointment with Dr. Shih to see if you meet the study criteria.
  • Randomized Phase II Trial of Normal Tissue Sparing Whole Brain Radiation Therapy (NTS-WBRT) Versus Hippocampal Avoidance Whole Brain Radiation Therapy (HA-WBRT) in Patients with Brain Metastases
    • Goal: To compare quality of life and symptom burden in patients at 4 months after receiving normal tissue sparing whole brain radiation therapy with simultaneous integrated boost versus those receiving hippocampal avoidance whole brain radiation therapy.
    • Principal Investigator: Helen Shih, MD
    • ClinicalTrials.gov Number: NCT05013892
    • MGH Location(s) Available: Main Campus (Boston)
    • How to Enroll: Please call (617) 724-1298 to make an appointment with Dr. Shih to see if you meet the study criteria.
Gastrointestinal Program Trials
  • Durvalumab (MEDI4736) and Tremelimumab and Radiation Therapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Biliary Tract Cancer
    • Goal: Study a combination of drugs with Radiation Therapy as a possible treatment for Hepatocellular Carcinoma or Biliary Tract Cancer.
    • Principal Investigator: Theodore Hong, MD
    • ClinicalTrials.gov Number: NCT03482102
    • MGH Location(s) Available: Main Campus (Boston)
    • How to Enroll: Please call (617) 726-6050 to make an appointment with Dr. Hong to see if you meet the study criteria.
  • Electron Beam Intraoperative Radiation Therapy Following Chemoradiation in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer with Vascular Involvement (PACER)
    • Goal: Research how well IORT during surgery works in treating pancreatic cancer after 3-6 months of chemotherapy and external radiation therapy.
    • Principal Investigator: Theodore Hong, MD
    • ClinicalTrials.gov Number: NCT03716531
    • MGH Location(s) Available: Main Campus (Boston)
    • How to Enroll: Please call (617) 726-6050 to make an appointment with Dr. Hong to see if you meet the study criteria.
  • NAPOX + Chemoradiation + Paclitaxel & Carboplatin in Esophagogastric Cancer (opening soon)
    • Goal: Evaluate how Liposomal Irinotecan in combination with the standard of care interventions FOLFOX, carboplatin paclitaxel, and radiation therapy affect gastroesophageal junction or esophagogastric cancer.
    • Principal Investigator: Theodore Hong, MD
    • ClinicalTrials.gov Number: NCT04656041
    • MGH Location(s) Available: Main Campus (Boston), Newton-Wellesley Hospital
    • How to Enroll: Please call (617) 726-6050 to make an appointment with Dr. Hong to see if you meet the study criteria.
  • NBTXR3+Anti-PD-1+RT in Advanced Cancers
    • Goal: Evaluate the safety, efficacy, and tolerability of NBTXR3 activated by radiotherapy in combination with an anti-PD-1 therapy in three cohorts of patients. (NOTE: MGH IS ONLY PARTICIPATING IN THE LIVER COHORT)
    • Principal Investigator: Theodore S. Hong, MD
    • ClinicalTrials.gov Number: NCT03589339
    • MGH Location(s) Available: Main Campus (Boston)
    • How to Enroll: Please call (617) 726-6050 to make an appointment with Dr. Hong to see if you meet the study criteria.
  • Nivolumab and Ipilimumab and Radiation Therapy in MSS and MSI High Colorectal and Pancreatic Cancer
    • Goal: Study a combination of drugs with radiation therapy as a possible treatment for Colorectal Cancer and Pancreatic Cancers.
    • Principal Investigator: Theodore Hong, MD
    • ClinicalTrials.gov Number: NCT03104439
    • MGH Location(s) Available: Main Campus (Boston)
    • How to Enroll: Please call (617) 726-6050 to make an appointment with Dr. Hong to see if you meet the study criteria.
  • Radiation Therapy with Protons or Photons in Treating Patients with Liver Cancer
    • Goal: Study how well radiation therapy with protons works compared with photons in treating patients with liver cancer.
    • Principal Investigator: Theodore Hong, MD
    • ClinicalTrials.gov Number: NCT03186898
    • MGH Location(s) Available: Main Campus (Boston)
    • How to Enroll: Please call (617) 726-6050 to make an appointment with Dr. Hong to see if you meet the study criteria.
  • Specimens and Clinical Data Collection in Oncology patients
    • Goal: Establish a centralized and uniform process for the collection of clinical and patient-self reported information, biologic sample collection and storage, and comprehensive databasing to allow for a searchable clinical and biologic sample repository obtained from oncology patients undergoing or being evaluated for radiation therapy.
    • Principal Investigator: Jennifer Wo, MD
    • MGH Location(s) Available: Main Campus (Boston)
    • How to Enroll: Please call (617) 726-6050 to make an appointment with Dr. Wo to see if you meet the study criteria.
  • Study of TAS-102 Plus Radiation Therapy for the Treatment of the Liver in Patients with Hepatic Metastases from Colorectal Cancer
    • Goal: Study a drug in combination with radiation therapy as a possible treatment for hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer.
    • Principal Investigator: Theodore S. Hong, MD
    • ClinicalTrials.gov Number: NCT03223779
    • MGH Location(s) Available: Main Campus (Boston)
    • How to Enroll: Please call (617) 726-6050 to make an appointment with Dr. Hong to see if you meet the study criteria.
  • Phase I Trial with Expansion Cohort of OBP-01 & Definitive ChemoRadiation for Patients with Locally Advanced Esophageal and Gastroesophageal Adenocarcinoma
    • Goal: To determine if the addition of OBP-301 to chemoradiation with carboplatin/paclitaxel is safe.
    • Principal Investigator: Theodore S. Hong, MD
    • ClinicalTrials.gov Number: NCT04391049
    • MGH Location(s) Available: Main Campus (Boston)
    • How to Enroll: Please call (617) 726-6050 to make an appointment with Dr. Hong to see if you meet the study criteria.
  • Phase IB Study of Atezolizumab and Bevacizumab with SBRT for Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma
    • Goal: Determine safety and tolerability of concurrent Atezolizumab and Bevacizumab with liver SBRT for unresectable hepatocellular cancer
    • Principal Investigator: Jennifer Wo, MD
    • ClinicalTrials.gov Number: NCT05096715
    • MGH Location(s) Available: Main Campus (Boston)
    • How to Enroll: Please call (617) 726-6050 to make an appointment with Dr. Wo to see if you meet the study criteria.
  • A Study of the Role of Circulating Tumor DNA in Predicting the Likelihood of Organ Preservation or Pathologic Complete Response after Neoadjuvant Therapy for Rectal Cancer
    • Goal: Evaluating the utility of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) to predict the likelihood of either successful organ preservation or pathologic complete response (pCR) one year following completion of total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT).
    • Principal Investigator: Theodore S. Hong, MD
    • ClinicalTrials.gov Number: PENDING
    • MGH Location(s) Available: Main Campus (Boston), Mass General Cancer Center at Newton-Wellesley
    • How to Enroll: Please call (617) 726-6050 to make an appointment with Dr. Hong to see if you meet the study criteria.
Genitourinary Program Trials
  • A Prospective Comparative Study of Outcomes with Proton and Photon Radiation in Prostate Cancer (COMPPARE)
    • Goal: Conduct a controlled comparison of patient-centric between parallel cohorts of men with prostate cancer treated simultaneously by proton therapy and IMRT.
    • Principal Investigator: Jason Efstathiou, MD, DPhil
    • ClinicalTrials.gov Number: NCT03561220
    • MGH Location(s) Available: Main Campus (Boston)
    • How to Enroll: Please call (617) 726-5866 to make an appointment with Dr. Efstathiou to see if you meet the study criteria.
  • PARTIQoL (Prostate Advanced Radiation Technologies Investigating Quality of Life) Phase III Randomized Clinical Trial of Proton Therapy vs IMRT for Low or Low-Intermediate Risk Prostate Cancer and Registry: A Companion to PARTIQoL Clinical Trial
    • Goal: PARTIQoL Trial aims to compare proton to photon radiation therapy for low or low-intermediate risk prostate cancer. The overall goal of the Registry is to assess the representativeness and generalizability of the randomized clinical trial findings to a broader spectrum of eligible patients.
    • Principal Investigator: Jason Efstathiou, MD, DPhil
    • ClinicalTrials.gov Number: N/A
    • MGH Location(s) Available: Main Campus (Boston), Mass General/North Shore Cancer Center, Newton-Wellesley Hospital
    • How to Enroll: Please call (617) 726-5866 to make an appointment with Dr. Efstathiou to see if you meet the study criteria.
  • Randomized Phase III Trial Incorporating Apalutamide and Advanced Imaging into Salvage Treatment for Patients with Node-Positive Prostate Cancer after Radical Prostatectomy (INNOVATE)
    • Goal: Compare metastasis-free survival (MFS) of salvage RT and GnRH agonist/antagonist vs. RT/ GnRH agonist/antagonist with apalutamide for patients with pathologic nodepositive prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy with detectable PSA.
    • Principal Investigator: Jason Efstathiou, MD, DPhil
    • ClinicalTrials.gov Number: NCT04134260
    • MGH Location(s) Available: Main Campus (Boston)
    • How to Enroll: Please call (617) 726-5866 to make an appointment with Dr. Efstathiou to see if you meet the study criteria.
  • Parallel Phase III Randomized Trials for High Risk Prostate Cancer Evaluating De-Intensification for Lower Genomic Risk and Intensification of Concurrent Therapy for Higher Genomic Risk with Radiation (PREDICT-RT)
    • Goal: De-Intensification: To determine whether men with NCCN high risk prostate cancer who are in the lower 2/3 of Decipher genomic risk (< 0.85) can be treated with 12 months ADT plus RT instead of 24 months ADT+RT and experience non-inferior metastasis-free survival. Intensification: To determine whether men with NCCN high risk prostate cancer who are in the upper 1/3 of Decipher genomic risk (>0.85) or have node-positive disease by conventional imaging (MRI or CT scan) will have a superior metastasis-free survival (MFS) through treatment intensification with apalutamide added to the standard of RT plus 24 month ADT
    • Principal Investigator: Jason Efstathiou, MD, DPhil
    • ClinicalTrials.gov Number: NCT04513717
    • MGH Location(s) Available: Main Campus (Boston)
    • How to Enroll: Please call (617) 726-5866 to make an appointment with Dr. Efstathiou to see if you meet the study criteria.
  • Phase III Randomized Trial of Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy with or without Atezolizumab in Localized Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer
    • Goal: To compare bladder intact event-free survival (BI-EFS) for concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CRT) with and without atezolizumab in localized muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC)
    • Principal Investigator: Jason Efstathiou, MD, DPhil
    • ClinicalTrials.gov Number: NCT03775265
    • MGH Location(s) Available: Main Campus (Boston)
    • How to Enroll: Please call (617) 726-5866 to make an appointment with Dr. Efstathiou to see if you meet the study criteria.
  • Phase II Study of Bladder-SparIng ChemoradiatioN with MEDI4736 (Durvalumab) in clinical Stage III, Node PosItive bladder cancer (INSPIRE)
    • Goal: To compare the clinical complete response rate [cCR] after chemoRT with or without durvalumab in node-positive bladder cancer patients
    • Principal Investigator: David Miyamoto, MD
    • ClinicalTrials.gov Number: NCT04216290
    • MGH Location(s) Available: Main Campus (Boston)
    • How to Enroll: Please call (617) 726-5866 to make an appointment with Dr. Miyamoto to see if you meet the study criteria.
Head and Neck Program Trials
  • Individualized Treatment in Treating Patients with Stage II-IVB Nasopharyngeal Cancer Based on EBV DNA
    • Goal: Study whether giving cisplatin and fluorouracil is more effective than gemcitabine hydrochloride and paclitaxel after radiation therapy in treating patients with nasopharyngeal cancer.
    • Principal Investigator: Annie Chan, MD
    • ClinicalTrials.gov Number: NCT02135042
    • MGH Location(s) Available: Main Campus (Boston)
    • How to Enroll: Please call (617) 726-5184 to make an appointment with Dr. Chan to see if you meet the study criteria.
Pediatric Radiation Oncology Trials
  • LET Optimized IMPT in Treating Pediatric Patients with Ependymoma
    • Goal: Study the side effects of linear energy transfer (LET) optimized image modulated proton therapy (IMPT) in treating pediatric patients with ependymoma.
    • Principal Investigator: Shannon MacDonald, MD (MGH Site PI)
    • ClinicalTrials.gov Number: NCT03750513
    • MGH Location(s) Available: Main Campus (Boston)
    • How to Enroll: Please call (617) 724-1836 to make an appointment with Dr. MacDonald to see if your child meets the study criteria.
  • Phase II Study of Proton Radiation Therapy for Neuroblastoma
    • Goal: Evaluate the acute and late toxicities during and after proton radiation for patients with high-risk Neuroblastoma requiring radiation therapy.
    • Principal Investigator: Shannon MacDonald, MD
    • ClinicalTrials.gov Number: NCT02112617
    • MGH Location(s) Available: Main Campus (Boston)
    • How to Enroll: Please call (617) 724-1836 to make an appointment with Dr. MacDonald to see if your child meets the study criteria.
  • PPCR: Registry for Pediatric Patients Treated with Radiation Therapy
    • Goal: of this PPCR Registry is to utilize data to describe the population of pediatric patients being treated by proton radiation and report the patterns of care in this population.
    • Principal Investigator: Torunn Yock, MD
    • ClinicalTrials.gov Number: NCT01696721
    • MGH Location(s) Available: Main Campus (Boston)
    • How to Enroll: Please call (617) 724-1836 to make an appointment with Dr. Yock to see if your child meets the study criteria.
  • Proton RT for the Treatment of Pediatric Rhabdomyosarcoma
    • Goal: To see if using proton beam radiation therapy instead of photon beam radiation therapy can reduce side effects from radiation treatment for Rhabdomyosarcoma.
    • Principal Investigator: Torunn Yock, MD
    • ClinicalTrials.gov Number: NCT00592592
    • MGH Location(s) Available: Main Campus (Boston)
    • How to Enroll: Please call (617) 724-1836 to make an appointment with Dr. Yock to see if your child meets the study criteria.
Sarcoma Program Trials
  • Proton or Photon Radiation Therapy for Retroperitoneal Sarcomas
    • Goal: To determine the effectiveness of radiation therapy with protons or photons that can be delivered safely in patients with Retroperitoneal Sarcomas.
    • Principal Investigator: Yen-Lin Chen, MD
    • ClinicalTrials.gov Number: NCT01659203
    • MGH Location(s) Available: Main Campus (Boston)
    • How to Enroll: Please call (617) 726-6876 to make an appointment with Dr. DeLaney to see if you meet the study criteria.
Thoracic Program Trials
  • Comparing Proton Therapy to Photon Radiation Therapy for Esophageal Cancer
    • Goal: See how well proton beam radiation therapy compared with intensity modulated photon radiotherapy works in treating patients with stage I-IVA esophageal cancer.
    • Principal Investigator: Katie (Florence) Keane, MD (MGH Site PI)
    • ClinicalTrials.gov Number: NCT03801876
    • MGH Location(s) Available: Main Campus (Boston)
    • How to Enroll: Please call (617) 726-5184 to make an appointment with Dr. Keane to see if you meet the study criteria.
  • Efficacy and Safety Study of Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) With or Without Pembrolizumab in Adults with Medically Inoperable Stage I or IIA Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers
    • Goal: Assess the efficacy and safety of SBRT plus pembrolizumab in the treatment of adult participants with medically inoperable Stage I or IIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
    • Principal Investigator: Katie (Florence) Keane, MD (MGH Site PI)
    • ClinicalTrials.gov Number: NCT03924869
    • MGH Location(s) Available: Main Campus (Boston)
    • How to Enroll: Please call (617) 726-5184 to make an appointment with Dr. Keane to see if you meet the study criteria.
  • Photon vs. Proton Chemotherapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
    • Goal: Compare the image guided motion-managed photon with proton radiotherapy with concurrent platinum-based chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer patients.
    • Principal Investigator: Henning Willers, MD (MGH Site PI)
    • ClinicalTrials.gov Number: NCT01993810
    • MGH Location(s) Available: Main Campus (Boston), Mass General/North Shore Cancer Center
    • How to Enroll: Please call (617) 726-5184 to make an appointment with Dr. Willers to see if you meet the study criteria.

 

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