Predictive Factors in compliance with radiotherapy breath-holding
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Predictive Factors of Patient Compliance for Breath-holding techniques during Adjuvant Radiotherapy for Breast Cancer
IRAS ID
150150
Contact name
RC Walshaw
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Research summary
There is emerging evidence that doses of radiation to the heart during radiotherapy given for left-sided breast cancer post-operatively can lead to increased cardiac side effects up to many years after radiotherapy. The HeartSpare study is currently attempting to establish if breath-holding techniques during radiotherapy can lead to reduced dose of radiation to cardiac tissue. Not all patients are able to comply with breath-holding techniques in the treatment position. The aim of our research is to establish if certain characteristics of the patient can predict their ability to comply with breath-holding techniques. Ultimately, it may be possible to develop a scoring system to help clinicians decide the likelihood of a patient being able to comply with breath-holding techniques or not. Patients who are unlikely to be able to breath-hold would not be subjected to this technique and it's training, preventing patient-distress, and saving time for the patient and radiotherapy department.
REC name
East of England - Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/EE/1095
Date of REC Opinion
1 Sep 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion