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Breast CancerRELAXNCT07469267

Level I-II Axillary Irradiation in Breast Cancer With Sentinel-Node Macro-metastases

A study testing Entire regional nodal irradiation and Level I-II axillary irradiation in people with Breast Cancer and Radiotherapy, run by Fudan University at 15 sites in China.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

The RELAX trial is an open-label, multicenter, non-inferiority, randomized, phase 3 clinical trial. Multiple randomized trials have demonstrated the safety of omitting complete axillary-lymph-node dissection in patients with invasive breast cancer and limited sentinel lymph node metastases. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older, women only
Conditions the study is for
Breast Cancer, Radiotherapy
What is being tested?
Entire regional nodal irradiation and Level I-II axillary irradiation
Type of treatment
Surgery or procedure
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
1,608 participants
Where
15 sitesChina
Study dates
24 Oct 2025to 31 Dec 2035
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • Women only
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Female ≥ 18 years of age;
  • Newly diagnosed primary invasive breast cancer;
  • Clinically stage T1-3N0M0;
  • Patients received surgery as first treatment,and have undergone breast conserving-surgery or mastectomy (with or without breast reconstruction) with negative margins;
  • Have one or two macrometastases (>2 mm) at sentinel lymph node biopsy,and without further axillary lymph node dissection;
  • Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0 or 1;
Show all 10Show fewer
  • Will receive endocrine therapy for at least 5 years for estrogen receptor (ER) and/or progesterone receptor (PR) positive patients; will receive anti-HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) therapy for 1 year for HER2 positive patients;
  • Radiation therapy must begin no later than 12 weeks after the last dose of adjuvant chemotherapy or the last breast cancer surgery if no adjuvant chemotherapy;
  • Patients have adequate organ function;
  • Acquirement of informed consent.

Who cannot join

  • Patients have received neoadjuvant systemic therapy;
  • Clinical stage T4 or IV (metastatic) breast cancer, or presence of regional metastases before surgery;
  • History of any prior ipsilateral or contralateral invasive breast cancer, history of other malignancies except for appropriately treated skin basal cell carcinoma and cervical carcinoma in situ;
  • History of previous radiotherapy towards the ipsilateral chest/lymph nodes.
  • The ipsilateral axillary lymph node dissection or other previous axillary surgery;
  • Current severe, uncontrolled systemic disease (e.g., clinically significant cardiovascular, pulmonary, hepatic, renal, hematologic, or psychiatric disease), inability to tolerate radiotherapy or systemic therapy if indicated;
  • Current pregnancy and/or lactation;
  • Inability or unwillingness to comply with protocol requirements.

Trial locations and contacts

15 sites in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Xiaoli Yu, MD, PhD contact

+86-13817893133

xiaoliyu@fudan.edu.cn

15 sites in 1 country

China15 sites, 15 recruiting
  • Changde Hospital, Xiangya school of Medicine, Central South University (The first people's hospital of Changde city)

    Changde, Hunan

    Tao Wu, +86-15873644000, radiotherapy_wutao@qq.com

    Tao Wu

    Not yet recruiting
  • Hunan cancer hospital/The affiliated cancer hospital of xiangya school of medicine,Central South university

    Changsha, Hunan

    Hui Wang, +86-13973135460, wanghui@hnca.org.cn

    Hui Wang

    Not yet recruiting
  • Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University

    Dalian, Liaoning

    Zhe Wang, +86-13889445515, wangzhe@dlu.edu.cn

    Zhe Wang

    Not yet recruiting
  • Oncology Department, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital

    Guiyang, Guizhou

    Yong Li, +86-13628566285, liyong7229771@163.com

    Yong Li

    Not yet recruiting
  • The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University

    Hangzhou, Zhejiang

    Ting Zhang, +86-15157125533, zezht@zju.edu.cn

    Ting Zhang

    Not yet recruiting
  • Zhejiang Cancer Hospital

    Hangzhou, Zhejiang

    Xia Zhou, +86-13858065520, 1154389861@qq.com

    Xia Zhou

    Not yet recruiting
  • Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital

    Harbin, Heilongjiang

    Qingyong Xu, +86-13664601878, xuqingyong1976@163.com

    Qingyong Xu

    Not yet recruiting
  • Cancer Hospital of Shandong First Medical University (Shandong Cancer Institute,Shandong Cancer Hospital)

    Jinan, Shandong

    Wei Huang, +86-13181713436, alvinbird@126.com

    Wei Huang

    Not yet recruiting
  • Department of Chemoradiation Oncology, The Affiliated Lihuili Hospital of Ningbo University

    Ningbo, Zhejiang

    Kaitai Liu, +86-13732112205, lkt1982@126.com

    Kaitai Liu

    Not yet recruiting
  • Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center

    Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality

    Xiaoli Yu, MD, PhD, +86-13817893133, xiaoliyu@fudan.edu.cn

    Li Zhang, M.D., +86-18121299516, lizhang_@fudan.edu.cn

    Recruiting
  • Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine

    Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality

    Chunling Jiang, +86-13979109200, jclil2002@163.com

    Chunling Jiang

    Not yet recruiting
  • The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University

    Shijiazhuang, Hebei

    Zhikun Liu, +86-13833185705, zhikunliu1978@163.com

    Zhikun Liu

    Not yet recruiting
  • Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital

    Tianjin, Tianjin Municipality

    Jing Wang, +86-13920762182, wj62182@126.com

    Jing Wang

    Not yet recruiting
  • Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology

    Wuhan, Hubei

    Tengfei Chao, +86-17720503401, turnface@126.com

    Tengfei Chao

    Not yet recruiting
  • Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology,Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University

    Wuhan, Hubei

    Haijun Yu, +86-13971665181, haijunyu@whu.edu.cn

    Haijun Yu

    Not yet recruiting

Other trials in China

About this study

Official title: Entire Regional Nodal Irradiation vs. Level I-II Axillary Irradiation in Clinically Node-negative Breast Cancer Patients With 1-2 Sentinel Node Macro-metastases (RELAX):A Prospective, Multicenter, Randomized, Phase 3 Clinical Trial

The RELAX trial is an open-label, multicenter, non-inferiority, randomized, phase 3 clinical trial.

Multiple randomized trials have demonstrated the safety of omitting complete axillary-lymph-node dissection in patients with invasive breast cancer and limited sentinel lymph node metastases. However, the necessity and optimal extent of regional nodal irradiation remains uncertain. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether level I-II axillary irradiation is non-inferior to whole regional nodal irradiation in terms of disease-free survival in clinically node-negative breast cancer patients with 1-2 sentinel lymph node macro-metastases.

Read the detailed description

PRIMARY OBJIECTIVE:

To evaluate whether level I-II axillary irradiation is non-inferior to whole regional nodal irradiation in terms of disease-free survival in clinically node-negative breast cancer patients with 1-2 sentinel lymph node macro-metastases.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

  1. to estimate the difference of overall survival; II. to estimate the difference of ipsilateral regional recurrence; III. to estimate the difference of ipsilateral local regional recurrence; IV. to estimate the difference of distant recurrence; V. to estimate the difference of radiation related toxicities and quality of life.

Outline: Patients are randomized in a 1:1 ratio to two treatment arms.

Arm A (Level I-II axillary irradiation): Radiation is delivered to the breast after breast conserving surgery(BCS) or chest wall after mastectomy, level I-II axillary lymph nodes. Internal mammary nodes(IMN) is optional and it is recommended to irradiate IMN when the tumor is located in the medial or central quadrant.

Arm B (Entire regional nodal irradiation): Radiation is delivered to the breast after BCS or chest wall after mastectomy, whole axillary lymph nodes (levels I-III) and supraclavicular lymph nodes. IMN is optional and it is recommended to irradiate IMN when the tumor is located in the medial or central quadrant.

Being tested
Entire regional nodal irradiation, Level I-II axillary irradiation
Keywords
Breast Cancer, Sentinel Node Macrometastases, Regional Nodal Irradiation, Level I-II Axillary Irradiation
Medical subject headings
Breast Neoplasms

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Entire regional nodal irradiationRadiation

    Radiation is delivered to the breast after BCS or chest wall after mastectomy, whole axillary lymph nodes (levels I-III) and supraclavicular lymph nodes. Internal mammary nodes(IMN) is optional and it is recommended to irradiate IMN when the tumor is located in the medial or central quadrant.

    Both hypofractionated and conventional fractionated radiation therapy are permitted: the conventional fractionated regimen is 50 Gy in 25 fractions of 2 Gy; the hypofractionated schedule is 42.56 Gy in 16 fractions of 2.66 Gy after mastectomy, or 40.05 Gy in 15 fractions of 2.67 Gy after breast-conserving surgery. Tumor bed after breast-conserving surgery is at the discretion of the treating physician, boost doses will be 10~16 Gy in 5~8 fractions of 2 Gy or 10.68~16.2 Gy in 4~6 fractions of 2.67 Gy.

  • Level I-II axillary irradiationRadiation

    Radiation is delivered to the breast after BCS or chest wall after mastectomy and low axillary lymph nodes (levels I-II). Internal mammary nodes(IMN) is optional and it is recommended to irradiate IMN when the tumor is located in the medial or central quadrant.

    Both hypofractionated and conventional fractionated radiation therapy are permitted: the conventional fractionated regimen is 50 Gy in 25 fractions of 2 Gy; the hypofractionated schedule is 42.56 Gy in 16 fractions of 2.66 Gy after mastectomy, or 40.05 Gy in 15 fractions of 2.67 Gy after breast-conserving surgery. Tumor bed after breast-conserving surgery is at the discretion of the treating physician, boost doses will be 10~16 Gy in 5~8 fractions of 2 Gy or 10.68~16.2 Gy in 4~6 fractions of 2.67 Gy.

Study groups in NCT07469267
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Entire regional nodal irradiationActive comparatorRadiation is delivered to the breast after BCS or chest wall after mastectomy, whole axillary lymph nodes (levels I-III) and supraclavicular lymph nodes. Internal mammary nodes(IMN) is optional and it is recommended to irradiate IMN when the tumor is located in the medial or central quadrant.
Receives: Radiation: Entire regional nodal irradiation
Level I-II axillary irradiationExperimentalRadiation is delivered to the breast after BCS or chest wall after mastectomy and low axillary lymph nodes (levels I-II). Internal mammary nodes(IMN) is optional and it is recommended to irradiate IMN when the tumor is located in the medial or central quadrant.
Receives: Radiation: Level I-II axillary irradiation

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Disease Free Survival (DFS)

    Defined as time from randomization until to local, regional, or distant recurrence, or any death, or secondary primary cancer.

    Measured: 5 years

Secondary outcomes (6)
  1. Overall survival (OS)

    Defined as the time from randomization to death from any cause.

    Measured: 5 years

  2. Regional Recurrence (RR)

    Defined as the time from randomization to the date of the first ipsilateral axillary, supraclavicular, or internal mammary nodal recurrence.

    Measured: 5 years

  3. Local Regional Recurrence (LRR)

    Defined as the time from randomization to the date of the first ipsilateral breast, chest wall, axillary, supraclavicular, or internal mammary nodal recurrence.

    Measured: 5 years

  4. Distance Recurrence (DR)

    Defined as the time from randomization to the date of the first distant breast cancer recurrence.

    Measured: 5 years

  5. Safety outcomes

    The frequency and severity of acute and late radiation-related adverse events are assessed and graded based on the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) Version 4.0. For some events that CTCAE grading are not available, RTOG/the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) late radiation morbidity scale and LENT-SOMA criteria are used.

    Measured: 5 years

  6. Patient-reported outcomes

    Assessment of treatment-related symptoms, health-related quality of life via three questionnaires, including the EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC-QLQ-C30; version 3), breast cancer module (QLQ-BR23) and upper limb function via the Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (q-DASH) questionnaire.

    Measured: 5 years

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted13 Mar 2026
  2. Study start24 Oct 2025
  3. Primary completion31 Dec 2032 (estimated)
  4. Study completion31 Dec 2035 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
1,608 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07469267
Sponsor's protocol ID
FDRT-BC026
Acronym
RELAX
Status last verified
Feb 2026
First submitted
8 Feb 2026
Last updated
13 Mar 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Entire regional nodal irradiation and Level I-II axillary irradiation in people with Breast Cancer and Radiotherapy, run by Fudan University at 15 sites in China.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 10 inclusion and 8 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 13 Mar 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 15 sites in China. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Xiaoli Yu, MD, PhD (+86-13817893133, xiaoliyu@fudan.edu.cn), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Disease Free Survival (DFS) (time frame: 5 years). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 13 Mar 2026.

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