During its history RTOG has conducted many studies that have improved the survival and quality of life of cancer patients. The results of the eight RTOG studies listed below are some of RTOG’s most recent accomplishments. Each of these studies has defined new national standards of care for cancer patients and each has led to the development of a new RTOG protocol that seeks to further improve upon these results.

Cancer of the Cervix – RTOG Study 9001 demonstrated that combining chemotherapy (cisplatin) with pelvic radiation improves the survival rate for women with locally advanced cervix cancer. A NCI Clinic Alert was issued in 1999 and the initial results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The 5-year survival rate for women enrolled on the cisplatin plus radiation arm is 73 percent, compared to 58 percent for women enrolled on the radiation-alone arm.

Lung Cancer – The results of a landmark three-arm trial, RTOG 9410, for favorable-performance-status patients with inoperable non-small-cell lung cancer reported the superiority of combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy given at the same time over chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy.

Head and Neck Cancer – RTOG completed the largest Phase III trial for patients with locally advanced head-and-neck squamous-cell carcinoma, RTOG 9003. This four-arm trial enrolled 1,113 patients and demonstrated the superiority of concomitant boost radiotherapy (standard radiation therapy with an extra “boost” to a specific tumor area) and hyperfractionated radiotherapy (radiation give twice a day) over standard radiotherapy for this group of patients.

The RTOG-led intergroup three-arm study for patients with advanced resectable larynx cancer, RTOG 9111, determined that laryngectomy-free survival was significantly better for patients on the combined chemotherapy/radiation therapy arm than for patients treated with radiotherapy alone. Time to laryngectomy (removal of the larynx) was also significantly better for patients who received combined chemotherapy /radiotherapy compared to the patients who received the chemotherapy or radiation therapy alone. There was no difference in the number of patients who were alive at two years with their larynx intact when combined therapy was compared to chemotherapy or to radiation alone.

Prostate Cancer – Through three large Phase III trials, RTOG investigators have determined that overall and disease-free survival rates are significantly improved for men with high-grade prostate cancer (Gleason Score 8-10) who receive long term hormone therapy and radiotherapy. For patients with locally advanced prostate cancer receiving hormone therapy prior to radiotherapy results in improved survival.

CNS Lymphoma - RTOG conducted a phase II trial, RTOG 9310, of high-dose chemotherapy (methotrexate, vincristine and procarbazine) given in five cycles over a 10-week period prior to radiotherapy for patients with non-AIDS related primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma. The median survival time for the 98 analyzable patients was 30.4 months. The median survival for a previous RTOG study (8315) of the same patient population treated with radiotherapy alone was 11.6 months.