SynthesisJournal of the National Cancer Institute2024
The use of master protocols for efficient trial design to evaluate radiotherapy interventions: a systematic review.
Synthesis in Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- A systematic review of heterogeneity in clinical trial design for anal cancer radiotherapy-immunotherapy combinations.Clinical and translational radiation oncology · 2026Review
- [Update on anal dysplasia and anal cancer].Dermatologie (Heidelberg, Germany) · 2026Review
- Advancing Particle Therapy to Improve Cancer Care: Report on "2nd World Forum on Particle Therapy".International journal of particle therapy · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
The aim of this review was to highlight why the use of master protocols trial design is particularly useful for radiotherapy intervention trials where complex setup pathways (including quality assurance, user training, and integrating multiple modalities of treatment) may hinder clinical advances. We carried out a systematic review according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, reviewing the findings using a landscape analysis. Results were summarized descriptively, reporting on trial characteristics highlighting the benefits, limitations, and challenges of developing and implementing radiotherapy master protocols, with three case studies selected to explore these issues in more detail. Twelve studies were suitable for inclusion (4 platform trials, 3 umbrella trials, and 5 basket trials), evaluating a mix of solid tumor sites in both curative and palliative settings. The interventions were categorized into 1) novel agent and radiotherapy combinations; 2) radiotherapy dose personalization; and 3) device evaluation, with a case study provided for each intervention. Benefits of master protocol trials for radiotherapy intervention include protocol efficiency for implementation of novel radiotherapy techniques; accelerating the evaluation of novel agent drug and radiotherapy combinations; and more efficient translational research opportunities, leading to cost savings and research efficiency to improve patient outcomes. Master protocols offer an innovative platform under which multiple clinical questions can be addressed within a single trial. Due to the complexity of radiotherapy trial setup, cost and research efficiency savings may be more apparent than in systemic treatment trials. Use of this research approach may be the change needed to push forward oncological innovation within radiation oncology.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.