Clinical trials

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) volumes continue to rise each year as the population ages and indications broaden. Increasingly, younger patients require hip replacement for conditions beyond primary osteoarthritis or fractures. As a result, the number of revision procedures is growing and is expected to increase further. Prospective data collection within this population will enable us to address key uncertainties, particularly around optimal implant selection for complex primary and revision cases. In addition, establishing a structured prospective database will allow for systematic internal auditing for quality assurance. Even simple metrics - such as verifying whether every patient received a complete diagnostic infection workup before revision surgery - could immediately enhance service quality and inform improvements to clinical pathways.

The CLARA trial is a phase II window-of-opportunity trial evaluating how a commonly used weight-loss medication (tirzepatide, a GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist) affects breast cancer biology, alone and in combination with standard hormone therapy (letrozole). The main goal is to determine whether tirzepatide, alone or combined with letrozole, reduces tumor cell growth.

The goal of this clinical trial to is assess the benefits of holistic lifestyle interventions, including nutrition, physical activities, and mindfulness, aiming to reduce preterm birth in twins, potentially revolutionizing twin care globally. An initial integrated pilot study is be conducted to assess and refine the intervention methods. The primary objective of the pilot study is to evaluate feasibility. If deemed feasible, the full study will be implemented, incorporating data from pilot study participants into the main study. Objective of the full study: To evaluate if a multi-component lifestyle extends gestational age at delivery by one week. Additional objective: to evaluate if the intervention positively influences multiple secondary outcomes including pregnancy complications, neonatal and maternal outcomes, and maternal quality of life.

The goal of this study is to test better ways to predict if cancer will return after surgery in adults (18+) who have been diagnosed with stage II or III colon cancer. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Can computer programs (Artificial Intelligence) and special blood tests give more accurate information about the risk of cancer returning than the methods doctors use today? * Does combining these new tests help doctors better understand which patients really need chemotherapy and which do not? Researchers will compare the new computer and blood tests to the standard hospital methods used now to see if the new way is more accurate in predicting the cancer's behavior Participants will: * Sign a form saying they agree to take part in the study * Have their standard surgery to remove the tumor * Give a few extra teaspoons of blood during their regular, scheduled hospital visits * Allow researchers to scan and study a small piece of the tumor that was already removed during surgery * Continue with their normal hospital check-ups for up to five years so researchers can track their health

The goal of this study is to determine how blood biomarker tests (ptau217 and ptau217/Aβ42) performed in primary care influence the patient trajectory in individuals with cognitive concerns. Participants will provide a blood sample for biomarker testing and undergo clinical assessments as part of diagnostic evaluation.

This study investigates whether infrared thermography, a harmless and non-invasive thermal camera technique, can help monitor how surgical wounds heal after skin surgery. The goal is to detect wound problems earlier, such as infection or delayed healing, and to support doctors in making timely clinical decisions.

The goal of this clinical trial is to set up a prospective, fit-for-purpose collection of human body material (HBM)-blood (serum, plasma, DNA) and tissue-and standardized clinical data of patients with cutaneous melanoma, non-melanoma skin cancer and healthy controls. The main questions it aims to answer are: * To create a biobank with samples of human body material (HBM): blood (serum/plasma/DNA) and tissue and clinical data of patients with cutaneous melanoma, non-melanoma and helathy controls. * To support future research questions (after specific approval of the Ethics Committee) by using the biobank (through satellite protocols). If there is a comparison group: Not applicable (umbrella protocol for collection only). Participants will: * Share demographics, medical and surgical history, risk factors. * Complete Cancer Worry Scale questionnaire. * Provide biological samples: * Blood samples (serum, plasma, DNA). * Tissue samples (residual tissue or additional biopsy if consented).

The objective of this prospective paired diagnostic comparison study is to evaluate the diagnostic yield and field applicability of SDS-EDTA-treated chromatography paper strips for the collection, transport, and laboratory detection of mpox virus compared with the routine swab-based sampling method under field conditions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The study is conducted among patients with suspected mpox infection presenting to healthcare facilities in South Kivu, DRC. For each participant, paired samples are collected simultaneously using the standard swab method and the SDS-EDTA strip method. Samples are analyzed using locally available molecular diagnostic platforms.

This survey study aims to investigate the incidence of Chronic post surgical pain (CPSP) in cardiac surgery patients treated at UZ Leuven. The primary hypothesis is that the incidence of CPSP at 3 months postoperatively is lower than 33%, which is the rate commonly reported in the literature. Secondary objectives include comparing CPSP incidence based on the type of surgical incision, as well as comparing incidences between type of surgery. Finally, the study will assess pain intensity, interference with daily activities, and quality of life of 3 months and when required also at 1 years postoperatively.

There are a few ongoing large randomized controlled trials (RCT's) on continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in women with gestational diabetes (GDM) powered for pregnancy outcomes. However, none of these studies included women diagnosed with early GDM. The CORDELIA trial is a Belgian-Australian open-label multi-centric RCT with 16 centers in women with GDM (including both early and late GDM). Women will be randomized 1/1 to either treatment with CGM (intervention group, Freestyle Libre 3 +) or continue with self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) with glucometer in line with normal routine (control arm). The study ends at the postpartum oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT 6-24 weeks postpartum) to screen for glucose intolerance.

What is HFpEF? In heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), the heart pumps well but struggles to relax and fill with blood between beats. This raises the pressure inside the heart, especially during physical activity, causing symptoms like shortness of breath and fatigue - even with light activities like walking or climbing stairs. What is this study about? Recent research suggests that a higher heart rate may help lower this elevated pressure. Many HFpEF patients already have a pacemaker. This study investigates whether simply increasing the pacemaker rate during light exercise can reduce the pressure in the heart. How does the study work? We wille measure heart pressures in 20 patients in rest and while cycling using a heart catheter and monitor their breathing. Throughout these measurements, we will gradually increase the pacemaker rate step by step. Why does this matter? If a higher pacemaker rate successfully lowers heart pressure, this could offer a simple, drug-free way to improve daily functioning and comfort for thousands of patients with HFpEF, justifying further long-term studies to evaluate effects beyond the immediate changes in heart pressures.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided portal pressure measurement can determine the treatment response to non-selective beta-blockers (NSBB) in patients with cirrhosis and clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH). Participants will undergo EUS-guided portal pressure measurement before start of Carvedilol en after three months of treatment. EUS-guided measurements will be paired with transjugular hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) measurement as well as non-invasive tests for assessment of portal hypertension.

Gestational diabetes (GDM) is an important contributor to the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Women with glucose intolerance in early postpartum are a particularly high-risk group with about 50% who will develop T2DM within 5 years after the delivery. Moreover, women with a history of GDM progress more rapidly to T2DM compared to women with similarly elevated glucose levels. Early intervention after the index pregnancy is therefore crucial to prevent T2DM. With the SERENA project, the investigators aim to reduce the risk to develop T2DM with the long-acting GLP-1 agonist semaglutide in women with a recent history of GDM and glucose intolerance in early postpartum.

This project targets patients with a form of primary liver cancer, specifically "hepatocellular carcinoma". This disease often develops in the context of a chronically diseased liver, caused by viral infections, excessive alcohol consumption, or fatty liver. Primarily due to the rise of the latter risk factor, liver cancer is one of the few cancer types whose incidence continues to increase globally, year after year. As a result, liver cancer has become the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. There exists a significant challenge in reducing the disease on all fronts: prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. This research aims to personalize the treatment of liver cancer patients, tailoring it to the individual. More specifically, this research seeks to identify patients with immunotherapy-sensitive liver cancer by biomarkers before treatment begins. Determining whether a tumor is immunotherapy-sensitive is internationally recognized as one of the most important challenges within this condition. Based on a combination of existing laboratory techniques on tumor tissue and/or blood, the investigators seek to predict the likelihood of this treatment's success before initiating it. With this knowledge, the investigators could recommend alternative treatments to patients with tumors that are unresponsive. This way, they would also avoid exposure to the side effects of an ineffective therapy.

Purpose of this study is to determine the value of liquid biopsies, e.g. testing of minimal residual disease (MRD) by using liquid biopsies to measure circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) at diagnosis and during the multimodal and multidisciplinary curative-intent treatment of resectable esophageal cancer.

Current clinical practices often provide general verbal advice to low-risk patients, which may not sufficiently address individual concerns or offer actionable steps. Generic information on the internet can be overwhelming or unreliable, leading to confusion and unnecessary follow-up visits. This project introduces a tailored approach by combining evidence-based guidelines with personalized details about the patient's risk profile. The discharge letter bridges the gap between clinical expertise and patient understanding, offering clear, specific, and actionable advice that has been shown to improve health behaviors and outcomes in other contexts . The personalized discharge letters are generated using an AI agent trained on validated letters from the hospital's electronic health record system (KWS). Each letter is reviewed and approved by a physician before being provided to the patient, ensuring both accuracy and clinical relevance.

Femoroacetabular impingement syndrome is increasingly recognized as a contributor to cartilage injury and early hip osteoarthritis. Both structured conservative care and arthroscopic surgery can improve pain and function, but a major unresolved clinical problem is deciding who should continue conservative care and who should escalate to surgery, and when. Evidence indicates that shorter symptom duration before surgery is associated with better long-term improvement, meaning delays may reduce the chance of achieving meaningful recovery. Current decision-making still depends largely on static imaging and passive clinical examination, which do not capture the dynamic, movement-related nature of the condition, while advanced three-dimensional imaging and laboratory motion analysis are not practical for routine clinical monitoring. This study aims to address this gap by developing and validating feasible, clinic-ready dynamic assessment methods and integrating weight-bearing pelvic and spinal alignment with three-dimensional hip modeling to support more objective, individualized, and timely treatment decisions.

Dupuytren disease (DD) is a common hand disorder with disabling finger contractures that may require surgery to restore function. In the early stages of the disease, the nodules (Tubiana stage 0) are usually painless, but a reason for concern to many patients. Not rarely, lifestyle measures and even risky treatment options as radiotherapy are advised, yet no therapy to prevent disease evolution has a solid proven effect. Furthermore, reliable non-invasive measurement of early stage DD is not validated. Evidence was found that pharmacotherapy may influence DD evolution, but valuable clinical trials are limited. Case series and non-published explorative follow-up suggested local treatment with antioxidant vitamin E to possibly interfere with an evolution of DD nodules to contracting strands. This study aims to provide evidence on efficiency of this non-invasive treatment option. Secure measurement of nodule evolution is a clinical challenge. To measure this evolution, ultrasound and MRI scanning are currently being performed. Stage 0 (nodules) is more challenging to quantify. A strict individual follow-up by the treating clinician is needed to standardize measurement of selected (treated) nodules. Therefore, simple ultrasound by the treating clinician may provide an good tool to collect data. This study aims to introduce and validate this non-invasive scan method and provide a prospective double blind investigation of a measurable effect of non-invasive preventive treatment for stage 0 DD to improve clinical outcome.

The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to address which treatment strategy (continue right unilateral (RUL) ECT or switch to bitemporal (BT) ECT speeds up recovery and has the least impact on memory function, in case of early non-response during an acute course of ECT for difficult-to-treat depression. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Assess the antidepressant efficacy and cognitive impact of the continuation of an ongoing treatment with RUL ECT compared to switching the treatment technique to BT ECT, in patients failing to show an early response to an acute course of ECT for major depression; * Assess group and subject-specific trajectories of depressive symptom severity and neurocognitive performance during the acute ECT course and up to 3 months post-treatment. Participants treated with ECT for depression, showing no 'response' (≥50 percent decrease in depressive symptom severity compared to baseline) after 4 treatment sessions, will be randomized to either switch to BT ECT or continue with RUL ECT. Mood and neurocognitive assessments will be performed at baseline, after 4 ECT sessions (before randomization), after 8 ECT sessions, at the end of the acute course and 3 month after the acute course.

The focus of this study is to understand and define the mechanisms of the altered muscle development and growth on a microscopic level within a long-term perspective in children with cerebral palsy and to relate these findings to muscle macroscopic properties defined by muscle imaging, to neuromuscular symptoms and to treatment. This study aims to (1) evaluate intrinsic microscopic muscle properties of young growing children with CP, and (2) to evaluate these muscle properties in relation to macroscopic properties, neuromuscular symptoms and to treatment. Improved understanding of changes in microscopic muscle properties, and how they relate to macroscopic properties and to the neuromuscular symptoms as well as how they are influenced by treatment, has the potential to delineate CP phenotypes prone to intervention and to optimize treatment protocols or develop new treatments, leading to new avenues for improving function in CP. The method to study microscopic muscle properties involves analysis of muscle biopsies (histological / immunohistochemistry analysis, SC and IC culture, gene expression). Biopsies will be collected using the minimally invasive percutaneous needle microbiopsy technique, suitable for collecting repeated samples over time in the same individual while still leading to sufficient tissue of good quality for subsequent analysis1,2. For the children with CP, the local hospital's tradition of applying general anesthesia for delivering BTX injections will be exploited to collect the muscle samples prior to the BTX session and the one-year follow-up, or general anesthesia planned for orthopedic surgery or diagnostic imaging such as MRI, etc. For the collection of the samples 3 months before the BTX session, as well as 3 months and 6 months after BTX injections, the common approach for microbiospy collection will be applied, with local sedation on the skin (Rapydan©) and fascia (Xylocaine©) and local anesthesia by using Kalinox© (nitrous oxide in oxygen) under supervision of the University Hospital PROSA team. Biopsies of TD muscles will be collected in children with no history of neurological disorder, nor musculoskeletal problems at the level of the gastrocnemius or semitendinosus, at the time of upper limb orthopedic or trauma surgery and thus always under general anesthesia. Ultrasound guided percutaneous muscle biopsy has been performed in children (2 months-18 years)3,4 and has proven to be safe and well-tolerated. A pilot study (S61110) was conducted to confirm that the microbiopsy technique is suitable for the analysis of microscopic muscle properties and is well-tolerated in children with CP. Two specific research goals are planned, with hypotheses emerging from literature.

This interventional study aims to validate an early heated protein introduction protocol in cow's milk allergic children who already developed tolerance towards extensively heated cow's milk, in order to speed up the development of complete cow's milk tolerance. Natural complete tolerance induction towards cow's milk takes several years of strict cow's milk avoidance with high risk of anaphylaxis by accidental cow's milk intake. By shortening the time towards complete tolerance, not only the quality of life of both children and parents ameliorates drastically, the time frame for potential anaphylactic reactions is also strongly reduced and can be considered as a preventive strategy to reduce allergic reactions too. Moreover, this strategy has proved efficient for hen's egg allergy. The main question this study wants to answer is whether a 12 months stepwise heated cow's milk introduction (either by gradual reduction of the cooking time or by the use of the Flemish Milk Ladder) in 20'-cooked cow's milk tolerant subjects, results in a larger proportion of complete cow's milk tolerant children after 12 months compared to natural tolerance induction (with 20' cooked milk introduction only).

The objective of the study is to study whether the introduction of heated food products (more specifically heated hen's egg and/or cow's milk) in children with EoE would be possible without re-occurrence of the eosinophilic inflammation, while the intake of less heated products might cause disease recidive. Moreover, we would like to study whether the gradual re-introduction of less heated products after the most heated form is tolerated, could lead to tolerance induction in EoE.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the feasibility of a 10-week plan with a nutritional supplement (leucine) and to perform pilot analyses on the effect of leucine on macroscopic muscle morphology in children with cerebral palsy.

Investigation of the mechanisms of persistent SARS-CoV-2 associated olfactory dysfunction (OD) in patients with well-documented olfactory function. The investigators plan to collect olfactory cleft biopsies and cytobrushes in COVID-19 patients and controls.

This prospective multicentric academic NAPT study aims to compile a database of all patients who initiate immunotherapy. The NAPT will take place before, during and after AIT to evaluate the cost and effectiveness of the treatment. The study consists of 4 visits and 2 telephone contacts that are repeated annually for 3 years. This study will be conducted in 2 hospitals: UZ Leuven and AZ ST. Jan Brugge on the consultation Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases (ENT) and the department of Internal Medicine / Allergology