Pre-surgery energy flexibility may flag heart risk after cancer surgery
NCT ID NCT07694453
First seen Jul 10, 2026 · Last updated Jul 15, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This observational study looks at whether metabolic inflexibility — the reduced ability to switch between using fats and sugars for energy — is linked to heart muscle injury after major abdominal cancer surgery. Researchers will measure this flexibility using routine pre-surgery exercise tests and additional blood samples. The goal is to see if this simple measure can identify patients at higher risk for heart injury within the first three days after surgery.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If metabolic inflexibility is found to predict heart injury, it could lead to better pre-surgery screening and preventive strategies for high-risk patients.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational study, so it cannot prove cause and effect. The findings may not apply to all types of surgery or patient groups.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 300 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Oct 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Oct 2030
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
Participants will be selected from patients receiving care at University College London Hospitals and other participating CIPHER-2 network hospitals, including Southampton and Plymouth. Potential participants will be identified through perioperative/pre-operative assessment pathways, including routine cardiopulmonary exercise testing clinics for patients being assessed before major surgery.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults aged 18 or over * Scheduled for major elective abdominal cancer surgery with planned overnight admission * Scheduled for pre-operative CPET * Able to provide written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Less than 18 years old * Emergency surgery * Unable or unwilling to undergo CPET * Pregnancy * Active sepsis * End-stage organ failure (e.g. on dialysis) * Participants without the mental capacity to consent * Diagnosis of Type 1 Myocardial Infarction meeting the 4th Universal Definition criteria during the immediate pre-operative period. (Note: Added based on MINS definition context)
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As listed by the trial registrant
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How to take part
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The official record
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