Radiotherapy is a cornerstone of modern cancer care, used in more than 50% of patients during the course of their treatment. While highly effective, it remains a double-edged sword: alongside its tumour-killing benefits, patients face a risk of long-term side effects, including secondary cancers and cardiovascular disease caused by damage to surrounding healthy tissues.
The treatment process itself can also be challenging for patients, often requiring prolonged immobilisation, uncomfortable positioning, and breath-hold techniques to minimise movement during delivery.
A major new research project, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), aims to address these challenges by accelerating the development of FLASH radiotherapy, a novel treatment approach that could significantly improve both patient outcomes and treatment experience.
FLASH radiotherapy is an emerging technique that delivers ultra-high dose rates of radiation in milliseconds, compared with the several minutes required for conventional radiotherapy. Preclinical studies have shown that this intense, rapid delivery can reduce the incidence and severity of normal tissue toxicity while maintaining tumour control. This tissue-sparing effect raises the possibility of delivering higher therapeutic doses without increasing side effects. Despite its promise, the biological mechanisms underpinning the FLASH effect remain poorly understood, and no routine clinical delivery systems currently exist.