[Clinical trials that have changed our practices 2010-2020]

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Radiotherapy
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• Cancer treatment practices evolve rapidly.
• Identifying landmark clinical trials is crucial for advancing patient care.
• The last decade has seen significant progress in various cancer types.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and summarize pivotal clinical trials impacting breast, urological, gynecological, upper aerodigestive, and digestive cancer treatment.
• To provide a retrospective analysis of radiotherapy-focused research from 2010-2020.
• To inform current and future oncological practice.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed (Medline).
• Studies published between 2010 and 2020 were selected.
• Author expertise and knowledge were also utilized for study selection.

Main Results:

• 5-6 high-impact trials were identified for each major cancer category.
• Selected trials addressed fundamental questions in radiotherapy for these cancers.
• The review covers breast, urological, gynecological, upper aerodigestive, and digestive cancers.

Conclusions:

• Fundamental questions in cancer radiotherapy persist, including the role of neoadjuvant therapy.
• The optimal use of hypofractionation in radiotherapy remains a key area of investigation.
• Determining the best chemotherapy regimens concomitant with radiotherapy is critical across pathologies.