Non-small Cell Lung CancerSARONNCT02417662
Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy for Oligometastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
A study testing Radical Radiotherapy (Conventional RT and SABR) and Non-investigational SACT in people with Non-small Cell Lung Cancer, run by University College, London at 19 sites in United Kingdom.
Trial summary
The trial will assess the addition of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) to standard anti-cancer therapy (SACT) in patients with oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
- What is being tested?
- Radical Radiotherapy (Conventional RT and SABR) and Non-investigational SACT
- Type of treatment
- Surgery or procedure
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 140 participants
- Where
- 19 sitesUnited Kingdom
- Study dates
- 19 Aug 2016to Aug 2028
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Registration Inclusion criteria
- Patient ≥ 18 years
- Histologically or cytologically confirmed NSCLC.
- Staging with FDG PET-CT whole body scan and MRI brain within 45 days prior to registration (but prior to commencement of first cycle of SACT). [Note: Brain CT with IV contrast can be performed instead (within 45 days prior to registration). However, if brain metastases are evident on the brain CT then a brain MRI must be performed prior to randomisation, i.e. the Brain CT is sufficient for registration into the trial but not for randomisation if it is positive for brain metastases, in which case a brain MRI must be performed]
- ECOG performance status 0 to 1 (prior to commencement of first cycle of SACT).
- Patient presenting with primary disease +/- lymph nodes and synchronous oligometastatic disease (1-5 lesions in up to a maximum of 3 organs).
- Patient is deemed fit to receive 12 weeks of induction systemic anti-cancer therapy, according to local guidelines and assessment.
- Patient is deemed fit to receive radical RT (either conventional RT or SABR) to primary disease +/- lymph node and SABR/SRS to 1-5 metastases according to local guidelines and assessment.
- Primary tumour +/- lymph node suitable for radical RT (either conventional RT or SABR).
- 1-5 metastatic lesions in up to a maximum of 3 organs, assessable according to RECIST v1.1 and all of which are suitable for SABR/SRS (only one site of metastasis or primary tumour needs to be measurable according to RECIST v1.1).
- If brain metastasis present, the NHS commissioning guidelines need to be met for intracranial SRS (≤20 cc) (or equivalent for Wales, Scotland \& Northern Ireland in line with standard of care). ii. Lymph nodes included in the N1-3 categories of the IASLC 2009 staging criteria are treated in the conventional radiotherapy volume and are not counted as metastases. iii. Lymph nodes not included in the N1-3 categories of the IASLC 2009 staging criteria, e.g. pelvic lymph nodes, are counted as metastases. iv. For bone metastases pre-SABR stabilisation should be considered as clinically appropriate. This does not exclude the patient from the study.
- Acceptable lung function for radical lung radiotherapy as assessed according to local policy. Note: Potential thoracic sub-study patients will need to complete pulmonary function tests pre-randomisation
- No relevant co-morbidities, including UIP pulmonary fibrosis and connective tissue disorders.
Additional inclusion Information Patients with lung cancer and an additional malignant nodule are difficult to categorise, and the current stage classification rules are unclear. Such patients should be evaluated by the local multidisciplinary team to determine whether the additional lesion represents a second primary lung cancer or an additional tumour nodule corresponding to the dominant cancer. The SARON TMG will accept local MDM decisions on this and will centrally review all baseline imaging retrospectively
Registration Exclusion Criteria
- Patient has had palliative radiotherapy to any tumour site prior to registration or requires palliative radiotherapy prior to randomisation.
- Presence of an actionable molecular aberration.
- Patients currently receiving VEGF inhibitors.
- One or more metastases previously treated with alternative ablative treatment.Note: Surgical ablation (partial or total excision biopsy) is permitted for palliative or diagnostic purposes (e.g. for molecular analysis). Treatment for any residual disease/tumour bed will be at the discretion of treating clinician/MDT. Resected/ablated metastases will count towards the total number of metastases.
- Patient has received any previous treatment for this NSCLC malignancy.
- Patients who present with brain metastasis only and no sites of extra cranial metastatic disease i.e. the presence of more than 4 brain metastases is an exclusion criterion.
- Metastasis in sites where normal radiotherapy OAR constraints cannot be met.
- Brain metastasis within the brainstem.
- Patients who have more than five sites of metastases in up to 3 organs prior to trial registration.
- Primary tumour or metastases causing direct invasion or high clinical suspicion of direct invasion of the wall of a major blood vessel, oesophagus, trachea, proximal bronchial tree, stomach, intestines or mesenteric lymph nodes or cutaneous metastases or diffuse serosal metastases.
- Malignant pleural or pericardial effusion.
- Bilateral adrenal metastases.
- History of prior malignant tumour likely to interfere with the protocol treatment, (patients without evidence of disease for at least 1 year or a non-melanoma skin tumour or early cervical cancer are eligible).
- Women who are pregnant or breast feeding.
- Stage III disease with extensive nodal disease not treatable in radical radiotherapy field.
- Leptomeningeal disease
Eligibility Criteria for Randomisation
Following 6-8 weeks of induction SACT, patients must meet the following eligibility criteria for randomisation:
- No confirmed disease progression on pre-randomisation CT scan (according to RECIST v1.1)
- Patients with up to 5 metastases at the time of registration but less than 5 visible after induction SACT are still eligible for randomisation.
- Patients with no visible metastases following 6-8 weeks of induction of SACT are eligible for randomisation. If randomised to the Investigational Arm, these patients will receive RT upon relapse of metastases (patients who experience progression with new metastases are not eligible for randomisation or for trial treatment).
- Patients with complete response of the lung primary +/- lymph nodes following 6-8 weeks of induction SACT are eligible for randomisation. Patients randomised to the Investigational Arm, should receive conventional RT to the pre-SACT involved nodal stations and to any scar residuum at the primary site.
- Patients who progress following 2 cycles of induction of SACT cannot be randomised. Only overall survival data will be collected for these patients.
- ECOG Performance Status 0-2.
- Continued suitability for trial treatment as deemed by the treating clinician.
- Continues to meet all registration eligibility criteria, as detailed in section 6.4.1 (with the exception of ECOG status).
Trial locations and contacts
19 sites in 1 country.
19 sites in 1 country
United Kingdom19 sites
Belfast City Hospital
Belfast
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Birmingham
Bristol Royal Infirmary
Bristol
Addenbrooke's Hospital
Cambridge
BEATSON
Glasgow
Royal Surrey County Hospital
Guildford
St James's University Hospital
Leeds
Leicester Royal Infirmary
Leicester
UCLH
London, England
Guy's and St Thomas's Hospital
London
St Bart's Hospital
London
The Royal Marsden Hospital
London
Christie Hospital
Manchester
Clatterbridge Cancer Centre
Metropolitan Borough of Wirral
The James Cook University Hospital
Middlesbrough
Freeman Hospital
Newcastle
City Hospital
Nottingham
Weston Park Hospital
Sheffield
Southampton General Hospital
Southampton
About this study
Official title: Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy for Oligometastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer. A Randomised Phase II Trial
The trial will assess the addition of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) to standard anti-cancer therapy (SACT) in patients with oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer. Patients will be randomised to receive either standard treatment alone (SACT) or standard treatment with conventional radiotherapy (RT) and SABR.
Read the detailed description
SARON is a phase II study examining the efficacy and safety of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) and conventional radiotherapy (RT) alongside standard chemotherapy in patients with oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer.
Current treatment for this group of patients is systemic anti-cancer therapy. The choice of SACT is determined by the treating clinician and will be supplied from hospital commercial stock, and prepared and administered according to institutional guidelines. There is sufficient evidence regarding the safety of SABR, its effect on local control and a possible impact on overall survival. This trial will further examine overall survival, progression free survival and local control, as well as toxicity, feasibility, patient reported outcomes and health resource use.
There will be a feasibility analysis performed after 50 patients have been randomised. This will assess the practicality of achieving recruitment targets, logistics of delivering the experimental treatment and the potential for contamination (as patients may seek SABR outside of the trial if randomised to the non SABR arm). There will also be a parallel thoracic SABR safety and feasibility study after randomisation of 50 patients with thoracic metastases.
This is a multicentre randomised phase II study based on patients with oligometastatic NSCLC.
Trial arms:
Control Arm: systemic anti-cancer therapy alone (SACT) Experimental Arm: SACT plus radical RT to primary and SABR and/or SRS to metastases
- Conditions
- Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
- Being tested
- Radical Radiotherapy (Conventional RT and SABR), Non-investigational SACT
- Keywords
- NSCLC, Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy, Radiotherapy, Randomised, Controlled, Oligometastatic
- Medical subject headings
- Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Radical Radiotherapy (Conventional RT and SABR)Radiation
Radical radiotherapy (conventional or SABR) to primary and SABR to the metastases
Non-investigational SACTOther
There is no intervention in the control group, patients will receive SACT. The choice of SACT is determined by the treating clinician and will be supplied from hospital commercial stock, and prepared and administered according to institutional guidelines.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) alone | Active comparator | The choice of SACT is determined by the treating clinician and will be supplied from hospital commercial stock, and prepared and administered according to institutional guidelines. Receives: Other: Non-investigational SACT |
| SACT + Radical Radiotherapy (Conventional RT and SABR) | Experimental | SACT followed by radical RT (conventional or SABR) to the primary and SABR to the metastatic sites.
The choice of SACT is determined by the treating clinician and will be supplied from hospital commercial stock, and prepared and administered according to institutional guidelines. Receives: Radiation: Radical Radiotherapy (Conventional RT and SABR) |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Overall Survival
The trial will investigate the impact of the addition of radical conventional and stereotactic radiotherapy to standard systemic therapy on overall survival
Measured: From date of randomisation to the date of death, up to 36 months
Secondary outcomes (6)
Progression Free Survival
The trial will investigate the impact of the addition of radical conventional and stereotactic radiotherapy to standard systemic therapy on progression free survival
Measured: Time from randomisation until progression or death, up to 36 months.
Toxicity (radiotherapy related toxicity Adverse events)
Safety analyses will be performed on all patients who received at least one dose of chemotherapy or fraction of SRT post-randomisation. Radiotherapy-related toxicity and early and late toxicity will be investigated. Adverse events will be compared between the two groups, as well as dose delays, reductions and compliance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Measured: From registration to up to 36 months after the first patient is randomised
Local Tumour Control by assessment of tumours at baseline and at progression according to RECIST v1.1
The trial will investigate the impact of the addition of radical conventional and stereotactic radiotherapy to standard systemic therapy on local tumour control
Measured: From time of randomisation to time of progression or death, up to 36 months
New distant metastasis-free survival
Measured: Time from randomisation until presence of new distant metastasis or death, up to 36 months
Overall Survival (from start of induction SACT)
Measured: From date of start of induction SACT to date of death, up to 36 months
Health Related Quality of Life using the EORTC-QLQ-C30 and EORTC-LC13 questionnaires
The health related quality of life for each treatment arm will be assessed.
Measured: From time of registration to time of death or up to 36 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted16 Apr 2015 (estimated)
- Study start19 Aug 2016
- Primary completionSep 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionAug 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Non-small Cell Lung CancerStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University College, LondonThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 140 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University College, London
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Cancer Research UK
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Fiona McDonald, Principal investigator, Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02417662
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- UCL/13/0594
- Acronym
- SARON
- Status last verified
- Apr 2026
- First submitted
- 20 Mar 2015
- Last updated
- 6 May 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Publications
Conibear J, Chia B, Ngai Y, Bates AT, Counsell N, Patel R, Eaton D, Faivre-Finn C, Fenwick J, Forster M, Hanna GG, Harden S, Mayles P, Moinuddin S, Landau D. Study protocol for the SARON trial: a multicentre, randomised controlled phase III trial comparing the addition of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy and radical radiotherapy with standard chemotherapy alone for oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer. BMJ Open. 2018 Apr 17;8(4):e020690. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-020690.
PubMed 29666135
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 6 May 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy for Oligometastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer. A Randomised Phase II Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02417662
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- SARON / UCL/13/0594
- Conditions
- Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
- Keywords
- NSCLC, Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy, Radiotherapy, Randomised, Controlled, Oligometastatic
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Active, not recruiting
- Enrolment
- 140 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University College, LondonUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Cancer Research UK
- Study start
- 19 Aug 2016 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Sep 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Aug 2028 (estimated)
- First posted
- 16 Apr 2015 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The trial will assess the addition of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) to standard anti-cancer therapy (SACT) in patients with oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer. Patients will be randomised to receive either standard treatment alone (SACT) or standard treatment with conventional radiotherapy (RT) and SABR.
Detailed description
SARON is a phase II study examining the efficacy and safety of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) and conventional radiotherapy (RT) alongside standard chemotherapy in patients with oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer.
Current treatment for this group of patients is systemic anti-cancer therapy. The choice of SACT is determined by the treating clinician and will be supplied from hospital commercial stock, and prepared and administered according to institutional guidelines. There is sufficient evidence regarding the safety of SABR, its effect on local control and a possible impact on overall survival. This trial will further examine overall survival, progression free survival and local control, as well as toxicity, feasibility, patient reported outcomes and health resource use.
There will be a feasibility analysis performed after 50 patients have been randomised. This will assess the practicality of achieving recruitment targets, logistics of delivering the experimental treatment and the potential for contamination (as patients may seek SABR outside of the trial if randomised to the non SABR arm). There will also be a parallel thoracic SABR safety and feasibility study after randomisation of 50 patients with thoracic metastases.
This is a multicentre randomised phase II study based on patients with oligometastatic NSCLC.
Trial arms:
Control Arm: systemic anti-cancer therapy alone (SACT) Experimental Arm: SACT plus radical RT to primary and SABR and/or SRS to metastases
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) alone | Active comparator | Other: Non-investigational SACTThe choice of SACT is determined by the treating clinician and will be supplied from hospital commercial stock, and prepared and administered according to institutional guidelines. |
| SACT + Radical Radiotherapy (Conventional RT and SABR) | Experimental | Radiation: Radical Radiotherapy (Conventional RT and SABR)SACT followed by radical RT (conventional or SABR) to the primary and SABR to the metastatic sites. The choice of SACT is determined by the treating clinician and will be supplied from hospital commercial stock, and prepared and administered according to institutional guidelines. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Radical Radiotherapy (Conventional RT and SABR)Radical radiotherapy (conventional or SABR) to primary and SABR to the metastases | Radiation | SACT + Radical Radiotherapy (Conventional RT and SABR) |
| Non-investigational SACTThere is no intervention in the control group, patients will receive SACT. The choice of SACT is determined by the treating clinician and will be supplied from hospital commercial stock, and prepared and administered according to institutional guidelines. | Other | Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) alone |
Primary outcome
Overall Survival
Time frame: From date of randomisation to the date of death, up to 36 months
The trial will investigate the impact of the addition of radical conventional and stereotactic radiotherapy to standard systemic therapy on overall survival
6 secondary outcomes
Progression Free Survival
Time frame: Time from randomisation until progression or death, up to 36 months.
Toxicity (radiotherapy related toxicity Adverse events)
Time frame: From registration to up to 36 months after the first patient is randomised
Local Tumour Control by assessment of tumours at baseline and at progression according to RECIST v1.1
Time frame: From time of randomisation to time of progression or death, up to 36 months
New distant metastasis-free survival
Time frame: Time from randomisation until presence of new distant metastasis or death, up to 36 months
Overall Survival (from start of induction SACT)
Time frame: From date of start of induction SACT to date of death, up to 36 months
Health Related Quality of Life using the EORTC-QLQ-C30 and EORTC-LC13 questionnaires
Time frame: From time of registration to time of death or up to 36 months
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 6 May 2026.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 29666135Conibear J, Chia B, Ngai Y, Bates AT, Counsell N, Patel R, Eaton D, Faivre-Finn C, Fenwick J, Forster M, Hanna GG, Harden S, Mayles P, Moinuddin S, Landau D. Study protocol for the SARON trial: a multicentre, randomised controlled phase III trial comparing the addition of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy and radical radiotherapy with standard chemotherapy alone for oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer. BMJ Open. 2018 Apr 17;8(4):e020690. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-020690.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Fiona McDonald principal investigator
Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
19 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Radical Radiotherapy (Conventional RT and SABR) and Non-investigational SACT in people with Non-small Cell Lung Cancer, run by University College, London at 19 sites in United Kingdom.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 6 May 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 19 sites in United Kingdom. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Overall Survival (time frame: From date of randomisation to the date of death, up to 36 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02417662, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 6 May 2026.