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STOPSTORM Study identifies new treatment option for severely ill patients – UKSH and CAU lead Europe-wide study
High-precision radiation therapy can significantly reduce the number of arrhythmia episodes in critically ill patients with life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias. This is demonstrated by the first large-scale prospective European registry study on so-called stereotactic arrhythmia radioablation (STAR), the results of which have now been published in the European Heart Journal. The European STOPSTORM consortium is led by the University of Kiel (CAU) and the University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH).
The treatment is intended for people with ventricular tachycardia, a severe heart rhythm disorder originating in the ventricles. These can lead to sudden cardiac death and are associated with repeated interventions involving the implanted defibrillator, hospitalizations, and a significantly reduced quality of life. The patients included in the study continued to experience persistent arrhythmias despite treatment in accordance with guidelines and were no longer candidates for further drug therapy or a cardiac catheterization procedure (catheter ablation).
Significantly fewer arrhythmias after treatment
The now published interim analysis evaluated 193 patients from 28 centers across Europe. This study thus provides, for the first time, a broader European perspective on this treatment, which had previously been studied only in relatively small patient cohorts. Among 107 evaluable patients with a follow-up period of at least six months, the number of dangerous arrhythmia events involving ventricular tachycardia decreased by an average of 80 percent after treatment compared to the six months prior. Of the patients who survived for at least six months, 72 percent remained free of shocks from their implanted defibrillator after treatment.
“These are important findings for a patient group with advanced heart disease and very limited treatment options,” says PD Dr. Oliver Blanck, coordinator of the STOPSTORM consortium of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the UKSH, Campus Kiel. “We see that the number of dangerous arrhythmias and also the number of distressing defibrillator shocks can decrease significantly after treatment.”
Indications on a manageable safety profile
The safety of the treatment was also evaluated. In the entire cohort of 193 patients, twelve serious adverse events were classified as possibly or likely treatment-related. No treatment-related deaths were observed. At the same time, the study authors emphasize that this is a group of very seriously ill patients with a high overall mortality rate.
Close collaboration between cardiology, rhythmology and radiation oncology
STAR is a non-invasive treatment option. The procedure does not involve inserting a catheter into the heart, but rather a single, highly precise radiation treatment of the affected area. To achieve this, cardiology and radiation oncology work closely together. “STOPSTORM is giving new impetus to the collaboration between two fields that have previously been rather separate,” says Blanck. “Cardiology, rhythmology and radiation oncology are jointly developing a new option for patients with heart rhythm disorders that are otherwise difficult to manage.”
Prof. Dr. Roland Tilz, Director of the Department of Rhythmology, Campus Lübeck, adds: “For selected patients who no longer benefit from drug therapy or ablation therapy, this novel treatment is an excellent alternative.”
“These results represent an important step forward, but they are not yet the end of the development process,” says Prof. Dr. David Krug, Director of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the UKSH, Campus Kiel. “We want to better understand which patient groups benefit most, how long-lasting the effect is, and how the treatment affects safety and disease progression in the long term.”
“This data opens up a new perspective for us. Our research aims to make the entire process—from diagnosis to treatment—completely non-invasive and more precise, thereby making treatment accessible to more patients in the future,” says Dr. Evgeny Lian, Head of the Electrophysiology Unit at the Department of Internal Medicine III – Cardiology and Internal Intensive Care Medicine, Campus Kiel.
The study is ongoing
The STOPSTORM consortium aims to better harmonize patient selection, target definition, treatment protocols, and outcome assessment across Europe. The registry already includes more than 350 retrospective and prospective cases. Recruitment and follow-up are ongoing. STOPSTORM (www.stopstorm.eu) is funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 945119 with 7.16 million euros (https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/945119).
University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel
Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical Faculty of CAU
PD Dr. Oliver Blanck, Tel.: 0431 500-26666, E-Mail: oliver.blanck@uksh.de
van der Pol LHG, Tomasik B, Hoeksema WF, et al. Stereotactic arrhythmia radioablation for refractory ventricular tachycardia: the STOPSTORM.eu study. Eur Heart J. 2026 Apr 20:ehag338. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehag338
https://www.uksh.de/221206_stopstorm_register.html
https://www.uksh.de/220613_pi_raventa.html
https://sowie www.stopstorm.eu
https://Animation: outu.be/lfrPWiCh-G4
Overview of STAR as an interdisciplinary approach combining cardiology and radiation therapy.
Copyright: UKSH
PD Dr. Oliver Blanck, Koordinator des STOPSTORM-Konsortiums an der Klinik für Strahlentherapie des U ...
Copyright: UKSH
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