This study is investigating newly diagnosed or recurrent rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) in children and adults. RMS is what is known as a soft tissue tumour and originates in muscle tissue; it occurs primarily in children but also in adolescents and adults. Approximately 10-15 patients per year are expected to be enrolled in the study in Switzerland.
For most patients, treatment of RMS comprises intensive chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy. The following questions will be investigated in the FaR-RMS study:
- The efficacy of new drug combinations
- The efficacy of higher-intensity radiotherapy
- Whether it is better to give radiotherapy before or after surgical removal of the tumour
- Whether further irradiation of metastases provides additional benefit
- Whether extended maintenance chemotherapy is better
- New drug combinations following relapse
The FaR-RMS study aims to evaluate various strategies in order to improve the treatment outcomes of patients with RMS by modifying their chemotherapy and radiotherapy. It will also investigate biological aspects of RMS to gain better understanding of the genetic structure of RMS cells.
The FaR-RMS study consists of several parts. Tumour samples will be examined biologically in the first part of the study. This will enable new information about RMS to be obtained in the course of research projects. Patients will then be assigned to risk groups for further treatment on the basis of the results. In the second part of the study, patients will be assigned randomly to a treatment group within their risk group. Comparison of the results will show whether a certain treatment produces better results and, if so, which treatment this is. The study team hopes that these findings will answer the above questions.
The University of Birmingham in the UK is responsible for the international implementation of the study (sponsor). The Swiss Paediatric Oncology Group (SPOG) is responsible for performing the study in Switzerland (sponsor’s representative).
In short
- This study is investigating the treatment of rhabdomyosarcoma, a soft tissue tumour.
- The study aims to increase the chances of recovery and improve the treatment overall. To this end various modifications of the chemotherapy and radiotherapy are being explored.
- As a result, the treatment of future patients may be improved and the chances of recovery increased.
