Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41213708›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2025

Personalising anal cancer radiotherapy dose (PLATO): protocol for a multicentre integrated platform trial.

Russell Frood, Alexandra Gilbert, Duncan Gilbert, Natalie L Abbott, Susan D Richman, Vicky Goh, Sheela Rao, Joanne Webster, Alexandra Smith, Joanne Copeland and 9 more

Abstract readClinical Trial Protocol
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. [Update on anal dysplasia and anal cancer].Dermatologie (Heidelberg, Germany) · 2026
    Review
  2. Article
  3. Optimising chemoradiotherapy in anal cancer.ESMO gastrointestinal oncology · 2026
    Review
  4. Outcomes after (chemo)radiotherapy for anal cancer - A nationwide cohort study.Clinical and translational radiation oncology · 2026
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

19 authors.

Russell FroodLeeds Institute of Clinical Trials Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK r.frood@leeds.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2681-9922
Alexandra GilbertLeeds Institute of Clinical Trials Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
Duncan GilbertMRC Clinical Trials Unit, University College London, London, UK.
Natalie L AbbottNational Radiotherapy Trials QA, Velindre Cancer Centre, Cardiff, UK.
Susan D RichmanLeeds Institute of Medical Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
Vicky GohCancer Imaging, King's College London School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, London, UK.
Sheela RaoGastrointestinal Unit, Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Joanne WebsterLeeds Institute of Clinical Trials Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
Alexandra SmithLeeds Institute of Clinical Trials Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
Joanne CopelandLeeds Institute of Clinical Trials Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
Sharon P RuddockLeeds Institute of Clinical Trials Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
Lindy BerkmanPatient Representative, London, UK.
Rebecca MuirheadOxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK.
Andrew G RenehanDivision of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Mark HarrisonHillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Uxbridge, UK.
Richard AdamsVelindre Cancer Centre, Cardiff, Wales, UK.
Maria HawkinsMedical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6669-0628
Sarah Brown *Leeds Institute of Clinical Trials Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7975-7537
David Sebag-Montefiore *Leeds Institute of Medical Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe incidence of anal carcinoma is increasing, with the current gold standard treatment being chemoradiotherapy. There is currently a wide range in the radiotherapy dose used internationally which may lead to overtreatment of early-stage disease and potential undertreatment of locally advanced disease.PLATO is an integrated umbrella trial protocol which consists of three trials focused on assessing risk-adapted use of adjuvant low-dose chemoradiotherapy in anal margin tumours (ACT3), reduced-dose chemoradiotherapy in early anal carcinoma (ACT4) and dose-escalated chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced anal carcinoma (ACT5), given with standard concurrent chemotherapy. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The primary endpoints of PLATO are locoregional failure (LRF)-free rate for ACT3 and ACT4 and LRF-free survival for ACT5. Secondary objectives include acute and late toxicities, colostomy-free survival and patient-reported outcome measures. ACT3 will recruit 90 participants: participants with removed anal tumours with margins ≤1 mm will receive lower dose chemoradiotherapy, while participants with anal tumours with margins >1 mm will be observed. ACT4 will recruit 162 participants, randomised on a 1:2 basis to receive either standard-dose intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in combination with chemotherapy or reduced-dose IMRT in combination with chemotherapy. ACT5 will recruit 459 participants, randomised on a 1:1:1 basis to receive either standard-dose IMRT in combination with chemotherapy, or one of two increased-dose experimental arms of IMRT with synchronous integrated boost in combination with chemotherapy. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study has been approved by Yorkshire & The Humber - Bradford Leeds Research Ethics Committee (ref: 16/YH/0157, IRAS: 204585), July 2016. Results will be disseminated via national and international conferences, peer-reviewed journal articles and social media. A plain English report will be shared with the study participants, patients' organisations and media. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN88455282.

Indexed as

Anus NeoplasmsChemoradiotherapyRadiotherapy, Intensity-ModulatedFemaleHumansMaleMulticenter Studies as TopicRadiotherapy DosageRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicAdult radiotherapyChemotherapyClinical TrialGastrointestinal tumoursRadiotherapyTreatment Outcome

Identifiers

PMID41213708
PMCPMC12658545

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

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.