Study protocol for the TROG 21.08 VITaL trial: a randomized controlled trial investigating ventilation imaging to improve the quality of life for patients with lung cancer treated with radiation therapy

Background

Radiation therapy (RT) is indicated for 77% of patients with lung cancer. Over 20% of patients are affected by radiation-induced lung injury. Computed tomography ventilation imaging (CTVI) estimates high and low functioning lung regions. During RT planning, CTVI can guide preferential avoidance of higher ventilated regions by redirecting dose to less well ventilated regions, sparing healthy lung tissue. The double-masked randomized Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group (TROG) 21.08 VITaL trial will investigate if sparing healthy lung can improve the quality of life (QoL) for patients with stage 3 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with RT.