TARGIT-B trial design

The randomised TARGIT-B superiority trial, is being performed to test if a tumour bed boost given intraoperatively (TARGIT) is superior, and results in better cancer control compared with a tumour bed boost given as with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT). Both treatments are in addition to whole breast radiotherapy

 

The TARGIT technique uses the Intrabeam device for delivering precise and timely dose of intraoperative radiotherapy accurately to the tumour bed. The hypothesis behind a potentially better outcome stems from the immediacy and precision of radiation. Furthermore, there are indications from TARGIT-A trial as well as laboratory data supporting the idea that the intraoperative radiotherapy of 20Gy abrogates the cancer-stimulating effects of surgical wounding and can also have immune-stimulating effects both locally at the site of surgery as well as distant from it. These effects could have a beneficial systemic effect to reduce distant metastasis, and mortality. 

 

This device was developed by a collaborative effort between University College London and the industry. It has had extensive experience since its first use in July 1998.

 

The TARGIT trial office has received its main funding from the Health Technology Assessment programme of the National Institutes of Health Research, UK, for the TARGIT-A and TARGIT-B trials. The TARGIT-B trial was launched in June 2013.​​​

 

Targit-A trial recruited from 33 international centres from 11 countries (UK, USA, Germany, Italy, France, Poland , Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Canada and Australia) and 3451 patients were randomly allocated from 24 March 2000 until the trial closed on 25 June 2012. (Click to see the map).

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The TARGIT-B Trial Steering Committee 

 

Selected publications that have prompted and support the TARGIT-B trial are listed below:

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The UK Pilot Study of intraoperative radiation therapy: the first full paper about Targit

2001    Annals of Oncology

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PhD Thesis of Jayant S Vaidya

2002    University College London PhD Thesis

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Poster discussion about cosmetic results of the (Targit) intraoperative radiation therapy boost cases

2003    Cosmetic Outcome

2003    San Antonio Breast Cancer Conference 

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Targit Boost results in a very low recurrence rate

2006    International Journal or Radiation Oncology Biology Physics

2008    American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)

2011      International Journal or Radiation Oncology Biology Physics

5-yr actuarial = 1.73%  – half the expected recurrence rate

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Novel effects of TARGIT on tumour micro-environment and potential systemic beneficial effects on non-breast-cancer mortality

2008    Clinical Cancer Research

2009    International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics

2013     International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics - an interesting hypothesis

​2013     New England Journal of Medicine

​2013     Breast

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Targit Boost during lumpectomy after neo-adjuvant chemotherapy is safe and may have systemic beneficial effects.

2017     Strahlentherapie und Onkologie

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