The EMBRACE Study The EMBRACE Study (EMBRACE)

April 29, 2026 updated by: University of Aberdeen

Randomised Controlled Study of Physical Exercise Intervention in Breast Cancer Patients at Risk of Anthracycline-induced Cardiomyopathy:The EMBRACE Study

Cardiomyopathy is a condition that affects the heart muscle, whereby it becomes enlarged, thick or rigid. When the heart muscle becomes involved, it affects the pumping action of the heart. This condition can affect as many as 10% of all patients after undergoing anthracycline cancer drug therapy and unfortunately carries the worst prognosis of all cardiomyopathies. To date, there is no effective intervention that will prevent a patient from developing this condition. The research conducted will look to see if an energy imbalance in the heart predates the onset of detrimental changes to the pumping function of the heart, if this is detected then we can act earlier to prevent the pumping function deteriorating.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Detailed Description

There is emerging cellular and experimental evidence that cardiac energetic status is reduced after anthracycline treatment, however, this has not been tested in the human heart. The researchers hypothesize that cardiac energetic status is reduced in the human heart after administration of anthracycline therapy in breast cancer patients, inline with the evidence available from all other types of cardiomyopathies. The researchers propose to use in vivo 31Phosphorus cardiac spectroscopy to measure the cardiac energetic status at the beginning and at the end of the cycles of chemotherapy in the hearts of breast cancer patients who are administered epirubicin (the most modern anthracycline to date) and compare this with the cardiac energetic status of age and gender matched healthy controls. Further, the researchers wish to explore if the myopathy-induced effect of anthracyclines extends to the skeletal muscle as well, by examining skeletal muscle biopsies in these patients.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
70

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United Kingdom
    • Aberdeenshire
      • Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, United Kingdom, AB25 2ZD
        • Cardiac Research Office, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
      • Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, United Kingdom, AB25 2ZD
        • Cardiovascular Research Facility

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Probability Sample

Study Population

Healthy volunteers and patients diagnosed with breast cancer who have been scheduled for the first cycle of anthracycline therapy.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • A patient who has been diagnosed with breast cancer and has been scheduled for a first cycle of anthracycline therapy.
  • Participant who is willing and able to give informed consent for participation in the study.
  • Healthy (gender and age matched) volunteers willing to give informed consent for participation in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Contraindication to magnetic resonance scanning such as an implantable cardiac device.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Breast Cancer Group
Healthy Volunteer
Healthy Volunteer Group

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Cardiac Energetics
Time Frame: At baseline
Cardiac MRI and MRS
At baseline
Cardiac Energetics
Time Frame: Through study completion, up to sixteen weeks
Cardiac MRI and MRS
Through study completion, up to sixteen weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Cardiac Imaging
Time Frame: At baseline
Echocardiography
At baseline
Cardiac Imaging
Time Frame: Through study completion, up to sixteen weeks
Echocardiography
Through study completion, up to sixteen weeks
Blood Biomarkers
Time Frame: At baseline
BNP and Troponins
At baseline
Blood Biomarkers
Time Frame: Through study completion, up to sixteen weeks
BNP and Troponins
Through study completion, up to sixteen weeks
Histology
Time Frame: At baseline
Histology of skeletal muscle biopsies
At baseline
Histology
Time Frame: Through study completion, up to sixteen weeks
Histology of skeletal muscle biopsies
Through study completion, up to sixteen weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Aberdeen

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Dana Dawson, MD, University of Aberdeen

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
February 1, 2020

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
August 30, 2030

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
August 30, 2030

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
July 2, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 8, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 13, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 30, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 29, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2-049-18

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Breast Cancer

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings