AI-assisted radiotherapy planning for cervical and head and neck cancer
ARCHERY: Artificial Intelligence based Radiotherapy treatment planning for Cervical and Head and Neck cancer
This project uses artificial intelligence to speed up and improve radiotherapy plans for people with cervical or head and neck cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University College London NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (London, United Kingdom) |
| Project ID | NIH-11176033 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project will use AI software to automatically outline tumor areas and nearby organs and to define the radiation beam shapes for patients needing radiotherapy for cervical or head and neck cancer. Doctors will run a prospective study of about 706 patients to compare AI-generated plans with usual manual planning to judge plan quality, time, and cost. The aim is to cut planning time from weeks to under a day and reduce dependence on scarce specialist staff, especially in low- and middle-income countries. If AI plans are shown to be safe and acceptable, the approach could be adopted more widely to speed treatment starts.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with a diagnosis of cervical or head and neck cancer who are scheduled to receive curative radiotherapy at a participating center would be the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Patients with other cancer types, those not receiving radiotherapy, or people treated outside participating sites are unlikely to be eligible or to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could greatly reduce waiting times and expand access to timely, accurate radiotherapy for patients in low- and middle-income countries.
How similar studies have performed: Previous pilot studies of AI auto-contouring and planning have shown promise in speeding workflows, but large prospective validation in LMIC settings remains limited.
Where this research is happening
London, United Kingdom
- University College London — London, United Kingdom (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Aggarwal, Ajay — University College London
- Study coordinator: Aggarwal, Ajay
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.