Checks heart and lung effects of chest radiation in lung or esophageal cancer
Observes heart and lung effects of chest radiation in adults with lung or esophageal cancer.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Cardiopulmonary Toxicity of Thoracic Radiotherapy
Key facts
- Where
- Nijmegen, NetherlandsSee the site
AI summary: who the study is looking for
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.
The trial is looking for adults with cancer of the middle or lower food pipe (oesophagus) or lung cancer who are planned for radiotherapy to the chest to remove the cancer.
- Age
- 18 years or older
- Sex
- Women and men can join.
- Disease stage
- Cancer of the mid or distal oesophagus; non-small cell lung cancer stage IIA-III, or stage IV with limited brain metastases (treatable with surgery or stereotactic radiosurgery); or small cell lung cancer, limited disease (stage I-IIIB).
- Earlier treatment
- Planned for external-beam radiotherapy with curative intention. People with earlier radiotherapy to the chest cannot join.
Main reasons for not taking part
- Heart failure in the last 2 months
- Pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lung) in the last 2 months
- COPD gold IV
- BMI above 35
- Earlier radiotherapy to the chest
Read by machine on 12 November 2026.
Where in Netherlands
- Radboud UMCNijmegen, NetherlandsContact: J Bussink, Prof, DrTaking people
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations
Print a page for my doctorTrial details
- Who runs it
- University Medical Center Groningen
- Trial code
- NCT03978377
- Record updated
- 25 March 2025
- Original description
Radiotherapy improves locoregional control and survival of thoracic tumour patients. However, the associated exposure of normal tissues, often leads to side effects and possibly even reduces survival. Indeed, there is growing evidence that overall survival after radiotherapy for lung and oesophageal cancer is related to the radiation dose to heart and lungs. This suggests that thoracic radiotherapy causes mortality, which is currently not recognized as radiation-induced toxicity. So the question arises how to explain this treatment-related mortality.Read full original descriptionShow less
Cardiopulmonary Toxicity of Thoracic Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy improves locoregional control and survival of thoracic tumour patients. However, the associated exposure of normal tissues, often leads to side effects and possibly even reduces survival. Indeed, there is growing evidence that overall survival after radiotherapy for lung and oesophageal cancer is related to the radiation dose to heart and lungs. This suggests that thoracic radiotherapy causes mortality, which is currently not recognized as radiation-induced toxicity. So the question arises how to explain this treatment-related mortality.
Interestingly, Ghobadi et al demonstrated in rats that thoracic irradiation can lead to pulmonary hypertension (PH). Histopathological analysis showed that radiation-induced PH closely resembles the pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) subtype. Moreover, in a clinical pilot study we confirmed early signs of PH including dose-dependent reductions in blood flow towards the lungs in radiotherapy patients.
In general PH significantly affects survival. Moreover, the PAH subtype is the most-rapidly progressive and lethal subtype. However, medical treatment can significantly slow down PAH progression, providing opportunities for secondary prevention. Yet, hard evidence that radiation-induced PH is a clinically relevant phenomenon in patients treated for thoracic tumours, is lacking.
Inclusion: Patients with oesophageal cancer in the mid or distal oesophagus and patients with NSCLC stage IIA-III or NSCLC stage IV with limited brain metastases (treatable with surgery or stereotactic radiosurgery) or SCLC limited disease (stage I-IIIB); Scheduled for external-beam radiotherapy with curative intention; WHO 0-2; Age >= 18 years; Written informed consent.
Exclusion: No heart failure in the last 2 months; History of thoracic radiotherapy; No pulmonary embolism in the last 2 months; COPD gold IV; BMI >35; Noncompliance with any of the inclusion criteria - For MRI part: Contra indications for MRI; For MRI part:; contra-indications for MRI.