Testing Higher Dose Radiation Therapy for Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

This phase III trial compares the effect of dose-escalated radiation therapy to usual care in patients with locally advanced unresectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma who have received an initial 4-8 months of chemotherapy. Usual care options include additional chemotherapy, observation, or standard lower-dose radiation therapy. These treatments may delay tumor growth but have not been shown to improve survival. Radiation therapy uses high energy X-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Dose-escalated radiation therapy involves the precise delivery of higher doses to the tumor, often over a shorter period of time. This trial assesses whether using dose-escalated radiation therapy can prolong survival.

Inclusion Criteria:

* At time of enrollment, the patient must have received 4-8 months of active chemotherapy with FOLFIRINOX or NALIRIFOX or gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel. Patients are permitted to receive more than 1 type of chemotherapy for reasons other than radiographic progression by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) (i.e. chemotherapy regimen switch is allowed for toxicity, and/or switch is allowed for toxicity and/or CA19-9 level not declining). Patients are allowed to receive chemotherapy after restaging scans, as long as 1) restaging scans are performed after at least 4 months of chemotherapy and 2) the total chemotherapy duration does not exceed 8 months

* "Active chemotherapy" refers to time on chemotherapy not counting treatment breaks (i.e. if a patient had 1 month of chemotherapy followed by 1 month break, this would count as 1 month chemotherapy). Study registration must occur within 45 days of last day of pre-study entry chemotherapy
* BASELINE PRE-ENTRY CHEMOTHERAPY REQUIREMENTS:
* Pathologically (histologically or cytologically) proven diagnosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
* Locally advanced unresectable disease (as defined per the National Comprehensive Cancer Network \[NCCN\] guidelines and institutional tumor board review)
* Patients must have baseline pre-chemotherapy scans for staging. Options include: CT chest/abdomen/pelvis, CT chest/MRI abdomen/pelvis, CT chest/CT pelvis/MRI abdomen, or PET/CT performed prior to enrollment
* Age ≥ 18 years
* Performance status Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) 0-2
* Required initial laboratory values:

All laboratory values must be obtained any time prior to initiation of chemotherapy up to 30 days post initiation of chemotherapy

* Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ≤ 3 x upper limit of normal (ULN)
* BASELINE CA19-9 AND BILIRUBIN REQUIREMENTS: The purpose is to obtain a baseline CA19-9 in the setting of a normal (or close to normal) bilirubin, since serologic response by serial CA19-9 measurements is part of post-chemotherapy eligibility criteria

* If baseline CA19-9 \> 37 U/mL the concurrent bilirubin must be ≤ 1.5 x ULN. (Note: if the bilirubin is not ≤ 1.5 x ULN both the CA19-9 and concurrent bilirubin can be repeated until bilirubin is ≤ 1.5 x ULN, as long as done within specified timeframe \[up to 30 days post chemotherapy initiation\])
* If baseline CA19-9 U/mL ≤ 37, there are no restrictions on the required concurrent bilirubin level, and this can be the accepted baseline value

* Prior radiation treatment
* Has the patient had prior radiotherapy to the region of the study cancer that would result in overlap of radiation therapy fields
* Prior non-overlapping radiation (e.g., breast, head and neck, extremity) is permitted
* If uncertain about prior overlap, please contact the study principal investigator, Dr. Nina Sanford

* POST PRE-ENTRY CHEMOTHERAPY REQUIREMENTS:
* If baseline CA19-9 is elevated (defined as \> 37 u/mL) the post-pre-entry chemotherapy CA19-9 must be less than 200 u/mL OR a 70% decline from pre-chemotherapy level (i.e. a patient with post induction chemotherapy CA199 value ≥ 200 u/mL would qualify, as long as they had at least 70% drop from baseline CA199 value; similarly, a patient with less than a 70% decline would qualify as long as absolute value post induction chemotherapy is under 200 u/mL) (must be completed any time post month 4 of chemotherapy and prior to study entry)
* If baseline CA19-9 is not elevated (defined as ≤ 37 u/mL) the post-pre-entry chemotherapy CA19-9 must remain ≤ 37 u/mL (must be completed any time post month 4 of chemotherapy and prior to study entry)
* No active duodenal or gastric ulcers
* No direct tumor invasion of the bowel or stomach
* Restaging scans showing at least stable disease (no progression). Options for scans include: CT chest/abdomen/pelvis, CT chest/MRI abdomen/pelvis, or CT chest/CT pelvis/MRI abdomen, or PET/CT performed prior to enrollment, with restaging CT showing at least stable disease
* Not pregnant and not nursing
* No cardiac condition that was the primary reason for hospitalization in the last 6 months
* New York Heart Association Functional Classification II or better (NYHA Functional Classification III/IV are not eligible) (Note: Patients with known history or current symptoms of cardiac disease, or history of treatment with cardiotoxic agents, should have a clinical risk assessment of cardiac function using the New York Heart Association Functional Classification.)
* HIV-infected patients on effective anti-retroviral therapy with undetectable viral load within 6 months are eligible for this trial