A trial looking at the size of the radiotherapy treatment area for people with soft tissue sarcoma (VORTEX)

This trial is looking at the size of the radiotherapy treatment area after surgery for soft tissue sarcoma. It is looking at treatment in people with soft tissue sarcoma of the arm, leg, hand or foot. This trial is supported by Cancer Research UK.

Some people with soft tissue sarcoma will have surgery to remove their sarcoma, then radiotherapy to the operation site. At the moment, doctors give large amounts of radiotherapy to the normal tissue surrounding the operation site, as well as the operation site. They think that this might reduce the risk of the sarcoma coming back. But there is not really any research to say that this is the case.

The aim of this trial is to find out if reducing the size of the radiotherapy treatment area and treating less of the normal tissue will cause fewer side effects, without increasing the risk of the sarcoma coming back.