SCOPE 2 - Still answering the unanswered questions in oesophageal radiotherapy? SCOPE 2: a randomised phase II/III trial to study radiotherapy dose escalation in patients with oesophageal cancer treated with definitive chemoradiation with an embedded phase II trial for patients with a poor early response using positron emission tomography/computed tomography

Abstract

The SCOPE 2 trial of definitive chemoradiotherapy in oesophageal cancer investigates the benefits of radiotherapy dose escalation and systemic therapy optimisation. The trial opened in 2016. The landscape of oesophageal cancer treatment over the lifetime of this trial has changed significantly and the protocol has evolved to reflect this. However, with the recent results of the Dutch phase III ART DECO study showing no improvement in local control or overall survival with radiotherapy dose escalation in a similar patient group, we sought to determine if the SCOPE 2 trial is still answering the key unanswered questions for oesophageal radiotherapy. Here we discuss the rationale behind the SCOPE 2 trial, outline the trial schema and review current data on dose escalation and outline recommendations for future areas of research.