ArticleBMJ open2026
SCOPES-II: short course of preoperative radiotherapy in head and neck, trunk and extremity soft tissue sarcomas - study protocol for a second randomised phase II clinical trial.
Article in BMJ open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07071727 (Short Course Of Preoperative Radiotherapy in Head and Neck-, Trunk- and Extremity Soft Tissue Sarcomas; a Second Randomized Phase II Clinical Trial), which is not on this map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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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.
Short Course Of Preoperative Radiotherapy in Head and Neck-, Trunk- and Extremity Soft Tissue Sarcomas; a Second Randomized Phase II Clinical Trial
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Preoperative hypofractionated radiotherapy for soft tissue sarcomas: a systematic review.Radiation oncology (London, England) · 2022Pooled it
- Radiotherapy Response Prediction in Myxofibrosarcomas and Undifferentiated Soft Tissue Sarcomas Using DNA Methylation and Copy Number Profiling.International journal of surgical pathology · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
17 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionSoft tissue sarcomas (STS) are rare malignant tumours typically treated with surgery in combination with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. Conventional preoperative radiotherapy (25×2 Gy) prolongs treatment duration up to 3-5 months, which can substantially have an impact on the patient's burden. Moderate hypofractionated schedules (14-15×2.85-3 Gy) have shown comparable oncological outcomes and toxicity profiles to conventional treatment. Data on ultra-hypofractionated regimens, such as 5×6 Gy, suggest comparable outcomes. The SCOPES-II trial is designed to evaluate and compare a moderately hypofractionated radiotherapy regimen (14×3 Gy) with an ultra-hypofractionated schedule (5×6 Gy) in adults diagnosed with STS of intermediate or high histological grade. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This international, multicentre, randomised phase II trial will include 150 adult patients with localised STS showing intermediate or high tumour grade, arising in the head and neck region, trunk, chest wall or limbs. Patients assigned to arm A will receive preoperative radiotherapy delivered as 14 fractions of 3 Gy, whereas those in arm B will undergo treatment consisting of 5 fractions of 6 Gy. In both treatment arms, surgical resection is planned approximately 6 to 8 weeks following completion of radiotherapy. The primary endpoint is the rate of postoperative wound-related complications occurring within 120 days after surgery. Secondary objectives comprise assessment of oncological efficacy, including local control and the development of distant disease, evaluation of late radiation-associated toxicities, patient-reported Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and an analysis of cost-effectiveness. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval for this trial has been obtained from the relevant Medical Ethics Committees (METc) in both the Netherlands (Medisch-Ethische Toetsingscommissie NedMec NL009842) and Poland (43/2026). Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants before inclusion in the study. The findings of this trial will be shared through publication in international peer-reviewed journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT07071727.
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