Could PET scans guide radiation to better fight lung cancer?

NCT ID NCT01507428

Completed Disease control Sponsor: National Cancer Institute (NCI) Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tested whether using PET/CT scans during treatment to adjust radiation plans can improve outcomes for people with stage III non-small cell lung cancer. 138 participants were randomly assigned to receive either standard radiation or radiation guided by mid-treatment scans. The goal was to see if the adaptive approach could better control the tumor locally without increasing side effects.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: radiation therapy guided by PET/CT scans
What this could lead to: If successful, this approach could allow doctors to deliver higher, more effective radiation doses to tumors while sparing healthy tissue, potentially improving local control of lung cancer.
What could go wrong: This is a mid-stage trial with only 138 participants, so results may not apply to all patients. The benefit over standard radiation is unproven, and there are risks from radiation exposure and chemotherapy side effects.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

non-small cell lung carcinoma

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

STAGE III LUNG NON-SMALL CELL CANCER AJCC V7 STAGE IIIA LUNG NON-SMALL CELL CANCER AJCC V7 STAGE IIIB LUNG NON-SMALL CELL CANCER AJCC V7

Contacts and locations

Locations

Augusta University Medical Center

Augusta, Georgia, 30912, United States
Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, Ohio, 44106, United States
Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center Independence

Independence, Ohio, 44131, United States
Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center Strongsville

Strongsville, Ohio, 44136, United States
Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center/Fairview Hospital

Cleveland, Ohio, 44111, United States
Cleveland Clinic Foundation

Cleveland, Ohio, 44195, United States
Cleveland Clinic Wooster Family Health and Surgery Center

Wooster, Ohio, 44691, United States
Fox Chase Cancer Center

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19111, United States
Hillcrest Hospital Cancer Center

Mayfield Heights, Ohio, 44124, United States
Indiana University/Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center

Indianapolis, Indiana, 46202, United States
McGill University Department of Oncology

Montreal, Quebec, H2W 1S6, Canada
Medical College of Wisconsin

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226, United States
Medical University of South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina, 29425, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Basking Ridge

Basking Ridge, New Jersey, 07920, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

New York, New York, 10065, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Commack

Commack, New York, 11725, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Nassau

Uniondale, New York, 11553, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Sleepy Hollow

Sleepy Hollow, New York, 10591, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Westchester

Harrison, New York, 10604, United States
Reading Hospital

West Reading, Pennsylvania, 19611, United States
Rush University Medical Center

Chicago, Illinois, 60612, United States
Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri, 64111, United States
Saskatoon Cancer Centre

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 4H4, Canada
Stanford Cancer Institute Palo Alto

Palo Alto, California, 94304, United States
Temple University Hospital

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19140, United States
The James Graham Brown Cancer Center at University of Louisville

Louisville, Kentucky, 40202, United States
University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center

Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States
University of Mississippi Medical Center

Jackson, Mississippi, 39216, United States
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73104, United States
University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center

Madison, Wisconsin, 53792, United States
Washington University School of Medicine

St Louis, Missouri, 63110, United States

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