A study to understand more about tissue damage and treatment resistance in people having radiotherapy for lung cancer (RADAR)

This study looked at blood samples and scans of people who had radiotherapy for lung cancer.

After having radiotherapy for lung cancer you usually have a number of CT scans. By measuring changes in the size and shape of the cancer in these scans, your doctor may be able to tell how well the treatment has worked.

Researchers wanted to develop better tests to predict how well radiotherapy might work. And to find out who is more likely to have side effects.

They looked at genes and proteins (called biomarkers) in the blood and cancer tissue of people who had radiotherapy for lung cancer. They also used PET-CT scans to look at how radiotherapy affected the healthy and lung cancer tissue.

The main aims of this study were to develop better tests to:

• work out in advance who would benefit from having radiotherapy

• see who is at greatest risk of side effects

The study was open for people to join between 2010 and 2012. The team published the results in 2018.