Risk factors for pelvic RRIFs v1.6
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Risk factors for radiotherapy-related insufficiency fractures (RRIFs) post radiotherapy for pelvic malignancies
IRAS ID
351872
Contact name
Artemis Bouzaki
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 4 months, 1 days
Research summary
Pelvic cancers happen in the lower part of the body, near the hips and pelvis. Doctors often treat these cancers with a method called radiotherapy.
Radiotherapy is good for treating cancer, but it can hurt bones and can cause bones to break more easily. These breaks are called radiotherapy-related insufficiency fractures (RRIFs). They happen when weak bones crack during normal activities, like walking or standing.
Radiotherapy can damage bone cells and make bones weaker. Scientists do not fully understand how this happens yet. Studies show that people who have radiotherapy have a higher chance of breaking bones in the pelvis. Some studies say many people get fractures, and others say it is less common. A recent study showed that about 14% of people who have pelvic radiotherapy get pelvic fractures.
Breaking a bone in the pelvis is a big problem. It can make it hard for people to walk or move and is very painful. It can make life harder for patients.
Doctors and scientists know some of the reasons why these fractures happen. But they don’t know how much the radiation dose or the strength of the bone affects the risk. This study will help answer those questions. It will also help create a tool to find out who might be at risk for these fractures.
This study will include patients who have received radiotherapy for pelvic cancers. The research will analyse existing data, so no new patients will need to undergo additional procedures. The study will use routinely collected clinical and imaging data data from The Christie NHS Foundatoin Trust from radiotherapy patients.
The study will last approximately 3 years. Advanced statistical methods will be used to identify patterns and risk factors.REC name
Wales REC 6
REC reference
25/WA/0170
Date of REC Opinion
11 Jun 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion