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Proton beams aimed at lung tumors while sparing the heart

NCT ID NCT04342429

Disease control Sponsor: Emory University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 17, 2026 · Last updated Sep 18, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers at Emory University are testing intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) for people with small cell lung cancer. Proton therapy delivers radiation to tumors while reducing exposure to nearby healthy organs like the heart. The study enrolls 30 adults with limited or extensive stage disease who are recommended for thoracic radiation. It measures heart-related side effects within a year and tracks how often imaging is needed to adjust treatment plans.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
intensity-modulated proton therapy, a form of radiation treatment that uses proton beams
What this could lead to
If it works, proton therapy could offer a way to treat small cell lung cancer with fewer heart and lung complications than standard radiation, which may help patients tolerate treatment better.
What could go wrong
This is a small study of 30 people at a single center, so results may not apply broadly. Proton therapy is expensive and not widely available, and it may not control tumors as well as standard radiation. Some patients may still experience heart or lung problems.

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

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 30 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Mar 2020

Expected to finish

May 2028

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

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.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show 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: * Pathologically confirmed small cell lung cancer, limited or extensive stage. * Patients who are offered thoracic radiotherapy with intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) techniques delivering 30-66 Gy in 15-33 fractions at 2 Gy per fraction, at the recommendation of the treating radiation oncologist. * Age 18 or greater Exclusion Criteria: * Prior radiation therapy which would provide significant dose overlap with the planned target volume(s) * Pregnancy

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

small cell lung carcinoma

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Small cell lung cancer

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Winship Cancer Institute

    RECRUITING

    Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, United States

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