Biologically effective doses of 60–70Gy versus >70Gy of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) combined with chemotherapy in locally advanced pancreatic cancer: protocol of a single-centre, phase II clinical trial

Introduction There is a paucity of studies about whether dose escalation of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) prolongs survival compared with de-escalation for patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC). Therefore, the aim of the study is to compare the survival benefits of biologically effective dose (BED10, α/β=10) of 60–70 Gy with those of BED10 >70 Gy.Methods and analysis This study is a single-centre, phase II trial. Patients with LAPC are randomly allocated to receive SBRT with BED10 of 60–70 Gy or >70 Gy in 5–6 fractions combined with gemcitabine plus albumin-bound paclitaxel. The primary outcome is progression-free survival. The secondary outcomes are adverse events, local control and overall survival.Ethics and dissemination The trial protocol has been approved by the Ethics committee of Shanghai Changhai Hospital. The ethics number is CHEC2020-100. Study results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals and released in related medical conferences.Trial registration numbers NCT04603586.