Updated May 2026 · ClinicalTrials.gov
Stereotaxic Body Irradiation of Oligometastase in Sarcoma (Stereosarc)
Randomized Phase II, 2-arm Study of Immunomodulation with Atezolizumab Concomitant with High Dose Radiation (SBRT) Versus SBRT Alone in Patients with Oligometastatic Sarcomas
Stereotaxic Body Irradiation of Oligometastase in Sarcoma (Stereosarc) (NCT03548428) is a Phase 2 interventional studying Sarcoma and Radiosurgery, sponsored by Centre Antoine Lacassagne. RECRUITING as of the most recent ClinicalTrials.gov update. Talk to your doctor before contacting the trial site.
About This Trial
Up to 50% of soft tissue sarcoma (STS) patients will develop metastases in the course of their disease. Cytotoxic therapy is a standard treatment in this setting but yields average tumor response rates of 25% at first line and ≤10% at later lines. It is also limited in the number of lines and courses by tolerance issues. Trials include poly/oligometastases indistinctively and suggest that consolidation ablation is used in \~20% of patients with residual oligometastases refractory to chemotherapy. Oligometastases represent a stage of disease between completely absent and widely metastatic, and which might be cured if the limited numbers of metastatic sites are eradicated. Ablative strategies to treat patients with oligometastases from sarcomas yield prolonged survival times and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is associated with excellent tolerance. Surgery may be offered in selected metastatic cases. Alternatively and increasingly, SBRT yields high control rates at treated sites (≥ 80%). The so-called radioresistance of sarcomas is overcome by the high doses per fraction made possible owing to the high precision achieved with SBRT. SBRT is an accepted treatment strategy provided that tumor burden remains limited in the number and size of metastases. Systemic treatment can be combined with SBRT. SBRT may produce abscopal effects where tumors outside the irradiation area also demonstrate tumor shrinkage in some occurrences. SBRT produces systemic antitumoral immune response in certain conditions and enhances radiation-induced tumor cell death compared to conventional lower dose irradiation. Abscopal effects have been potentialized with SBRT/immunotherapy in several tumor models. Sarcomas are a privileged target tumor given their high metastatic propensity. Several potent immunomodulators that skew the tumor immune microenvironment toward a proimmunity context are being investigated in STS either alone or in combination with chemotherapy or targeted therapy. The PD-1 receptor is present within the tumor microenvironment, and limits the activity of infiltrating cytotoxic T lymphocytes, thus blocking effective immune responses. The action of PD-1 is triggered upon binding to its ligands. PD-1 can stimulate the immunosuppressive function of regulatory T cells. Moreover, blockade of PD-1 can stimulate anti-tumor immune responses. Significant responses have been obtained in several sarcomas with acceptable tolerance. Preliminary clinical experience suggests that immunotherapy can be efficient in refractory leiomyosarcomas. Several drugs targeting the PD-1/PD-L1/2 axis are ongoing either as single agents or in combination with ipilimumab, kinase inhibitors, or chemotherapy in STS subtypes. Combination of radiotherapy with immunotherapy is included as a means of increasing tumor antigen release in metastatic STS. Immunomodulated SBRT is a particularly attractive strategy, given the potential of radiation to induce cytotoxicity in tumors and induce abscopal effects. A phase II radiation trial showed increased apoptosis-, intra-tumoral dendritic cells and accumulation of intratumoral T cells in STS with correlation with tumor-specific immune responses. We here propose a randomized phase II study to prolong progression-free survival (PFS) with the combination of SBRT/immunotherapy in oligometastatic STS patients. SBRT is well-tolerated with hardly any severe toxicity (fewer than 5% acute and late grade 3 toxicities). It is performed in an ambulatory setting in only a few treatment fractions. Associations between irradiation and immunomodulatory agents appear to be synergistic and show favorable tolerance profiles. Immunomodulatory agents have a more favorable toxicity profile than cytotoxic agents with about 65% overall acute toxicities. Immunotherapy selectively binds to PD-L1 and competitively blocks its interaction with PD-1. Compared with anti-PD-1 antibodies that target T-cells, immunotherapy targets tumor cells, and is therefore may induce fewer side effects, including a lower risk of autoimmune-related safety issues, as blockade of PD-L1 leaves the PD-L2 - PD-1 pathway intact to promote peripheral self-tolerance. Stereotactic irradiation is associated with an excellent tolerance with rates of grade 3 or more toxicities below 5%. Preliminary data of toxicity with the association of stereotactic irradiation and immunotherapy show no cumulative toxicity in association with immunotherapy. However, their incidence and characteristics are no different from that observed with stereotactic irradiation alone. Moreover, intracranial metastases are exceptional in sarcomas. The toxicity of the association for extracranial stereotactic irradiation does not seem to be increased either.
What Stage of Research Is This?
Phase 2 trials evaluate whether a treatment actually works against Sarcoma and continue monitoring side effects. Phase 2 enrolls larger groups (typically 100–300 patients) and produces the first real efficacy signal. A successful Phase 2 readout is what unlocks the much larger Phase 3 confirmatory trials needed for FDA approval.
This trial is currently recruiting participants. The sponsor has registered the study with ClinicalTrials.gov as actively enrolling, which means new applicants who meet the eligibility criteria can be considered for screening. Trial status can change between updates — confirm current recruiting status with the study contact before traveling for a screening visit.
Target enrollment of 103 participants puts this in the typical range for a Phase 2-style efficacy study or a moderate Phase 3 trial in a focused Sarcoma subpopulation. At this scale, the study has enough statistical power to detect a clear treatment effect but is not the largest cohort in the field.
Who May Be Eligible (Plain English)
These are translations of the protocol\'s inclusion and exclusion criteria, simplified for patients and caregivers. The original clinical text appears below. Eligibility is ultimately confirmed by the trial site\'s screening process — this summary is a starting point for a conversation with your doctor, not a final determination.
Original Eligibility Criteria
View original clinical language
Treatments Being Tested
Atezolizumab
1200mg IV every 3 weeks for 4 months
SBRT
3 to 5 fractions depending on tumor size
Locations (17)
Trial sites listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for this study. Site activation status can vary — confirm with the specific site before traveling for a screening visit.
How to Talk to Your Doctor About This Trial
Bring the printable summary of this trial — including the NCT ID (NCT03548428), the sponsor (Centre Antoine Lacassagne), and the key eligibility criteria — to your next appointment. Your doctor can review the inclusion and exclusion criteria against your medical history, lab values, and current treatments to assess whether you are likely to qualify. They can also help you weigh whether trial participation makes sense alongside your existing care plan.
Useful questions to walk through together: What does the trial protocol require beyond standard care? How long is the active treatment phase, and how long is follow-up? Are there study visits at sites I can reach? Who pays for the trial-specific procedures, and who pays for standard-of-care portions? See our 25 questions to ask about clinical trials guide for a more complete checklist.
Authoritative Sources
The official record for this trial lives on ClinicalTrials.gov — the federal registry maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. For background on how this trial fits into the FDA approval pathway, see the FDA drug approval process. For oncology-specific guidance for patients considering trials, the National Cancer Institute publishes patient-oriented overviews. International trial registries are aggregated by the WHO ICTRP.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the NCT03548428 clinical trial studying?
Up to 50% of soft tissue sarcoma (STS) patients will develop metastases in the course of their disease. Cytotoxic therapy is a standard treatment in this setting but yields average tumor response rates of 25% at first line and ≤10% at later lines. It is also limited in the number of lines and courses by tolerance issues. Trials include poly/oligometastases indistinctively and suggest that consolidation ablation is used in \~20% of patients with residual oligometastases refractory to chemotherapy. Oligometastases represent a stage of disease between completely absent and widely metastatic, and … The full protocol is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov and includes the primary outcome measures, eligibility criteria, and study endpoints.
Who can participate in NCT03548428?
Eligibility for this trial depends on the specific inclusion and exclusion criteria set by the sponsor. The plain-English summary above translates the most important criteria into accessible language; the official clinical text is preserved in the collapsible section underneath. Whether you fit any specific trial is a medical decision your doctor needs to confirm — bring the trial information to your treating physician for a full review against your medical history.
How do I contact the trial site for NCT03548428?
Contact information registered with ClinicalTrials.gov is shown in the sidebar of this page. Before reaching out, confirm with your treating physician that this trial is appropriate for your situation. The trial site will then walk you through the screening process to determine final eligibility.
Is participating in a clinical trial safe?
Clinical trials in the United States are regulated by the FDA and overseen by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) that review the protocol for safety. Risk varies by trial — Phase 1 studies test new treatments in humans for the first time, while Phase 3 trials use treatments that have already passed earlier safety screening. The informed consent document for any specific trial details the known risks and what to expect. Discuss those risks with your physician before deciding whether to participate.
Where can I verify the data on this page?
Every detail on this page comes directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API. Click "View on ClinicalTrials.gov" in the sidebar to see the official, unmodified record. The federal record is always authoritative; this page is a structured presentation with a plain-English eligibility translation. For background on how clinical trials are regulated, see the FDA drug approval process documentation.
How This Page Is Built
Every field on this page is pulled directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 — no estimates, no proxies. The plain-English eligibility translation is generated from the original protocol text and reviewed for fidelity to the underlying clinical criteria. The original clinical text remains visible in the collapsible section above so users and clinicians can verify the translation. Read the full methodology for the data pipeline and known limitations.
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 record for NCT03548428. Maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. Public domain. Cite as: "TrialFinderData. NCT03548428. Data: ClinicalTrials.gov."
Medical disclaimer: This page is informational, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.
Last updated 2026-05-08 · Data from ClinicalTrials.gov.