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Does breast cancer radiation harm a key immune gland? a study investigates

NCT ID NCT07725172

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Duke University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jul 24, 2026 · Last updated Aug 28, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study looks at whether radiation therapy for breast cancer affects the thymus, a small gland in the upper chest that helps produce immune cells. Researchers will collect blood samples from young women aged 18 to 50 who are receiving radiation after breast cancer surgery, as well as from those who are not. By measuring specific markers in the blood, they aim to see if the thymus is working differently after radiation exposure.

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 radiation is found to harm the thymus, it could lead to strategies to protect immune function in young breast cancer patients.
What could go wrong
This is an observational study measuring biomarkers, not testing a treatment. It may not find a clear link, and results may not change clinical practice.

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.

Participants

About 125 people

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

Expected to start

Sep 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Sep 2029

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.

Who is studied

The study population includes women age 18-50 with breast cancer seen in the Duke Breast Oncology Program

Ages

18 to 50 years

Sex

Female participants only

Healthy volunteers

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

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Women aged 18 to 50 undergoing mastectomy or breast-conserving surgery for breast cancer of any subtype at DUMC and associated satellite centers * Histologic documentation of breast cancer based on pathology * Systemic therapies including hormone therapy, targeted therapy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy as given for breast cancer treatment at the discretion of the treating medical oncologist are allowed and use of such therapies will be documented and included as a covariate * Willing and able to provide written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Prior history of therapeutic high-dose irradiation of the thorax (e.g. for treatment of lung cancer, head/neck cancer, Hodgkin disease, etc., not just radiological imaging alone) * History of thymectomy or treatment with immunosuppressive drugs within the past six months * Individuals with rheumatoid arthritis or other autoimmune conditions * Individuals with Down's syndrome * Male patients

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

breast cancer breast neoplasm

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Breast 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

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Duke Cancer Center

    Durham, North Carolina, 27710, United States

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