A groundbreaking multinational clinical trial, named RESILIENCE, is underway to test a promising new treatment aimed at preventing heart damage caused by anthracycline chemotherapy in lymphoma patients. Anthracyclines, while effective cancer-fighting drugs, carry a significant risk of cardiotoxicity, potentially leading to long-term heart problems.
The RESILIENCE trial focuses on remote ischaemic conditioning (RIC), a non-invasive procedure that has shown protective effects against heart damage in preclinical studies. RIC involves brief, controlled interruptions of blood flow in a limb, designed to trigger the body’s natural protective mechanisms.
In this phase II, double-blind, sham-controlled trial, lymphoma patients at high risk of cardiotoxicity will be randomly assigned to receive weekly RIC or a placebo treatment throughout their chemotherapy cycles. Participants will undergo advanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) before, during, and after chemotherapy to closely monitor heart function.
The primary goal is to measure changes in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), an important indicator of heart performance. Secondary outcomes include the incidence of cardiotoxic events and the evaluation of novel imaging markers that might predict early heart injury. The trial also aims to validate a new ultra-fast CMR technique, which could improve scanning efficiency for vulnerable patients.
If successful, RESILIENCE could lead to a new, non-invasive method to protect cancer patients’ hearts, improving both survival and quality of life. The trial’s results are eagerly awaited by the medical community.
Reference
Moreno-Arciniegas A et al. Rationale and design of RESILIENCE: A prospective randomized clinical trial evaluating remote ischaemic conditioning for the prevention of anthracycline cardiotoxicity. European Journal of Heart Failure. 2024;26:2213-22.
