AI-assisted radiotherapy planning for cervical and head and neck cancer
Official title: ARCHERY: Artificial Intelligence based Radiotherapy treatment planning for Cervical and Head and Neck cancer
Funded at University College London · NIH-11176033 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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 start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $215,448 |
| NIH project number | 5U01CA269143-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11176033 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
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.
✕Less likely to help
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.
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.
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 gone: 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
-
University College London
London, United Kingdom Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Aggarwal, Ajay — University College London
- Study coordinator: Aggarwal, Ajay
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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AI-powered radiotherapy planning for cervical and head-and-neck cancer
A computer program helps plan radiation therapy for cervical and head-and-neck cancer patients to make treatments faster and more accurate.
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AI-powered radiotherapy planning for cervical and head-and-neck cancer
A United Kingdom study is testing AI software that helps plan radiotherapy for cervical and head-and-neck cancer patients to save time and reduce the workload for clinicians in low-resource settings.
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AI-powered radiotherapy planning for cervical and head-and-neck cancer
A UK research team is testing an AI-based software to automatically outline cancer areas and plan radiation beams to speed up treatment for cervical and head-and-neck cancers in LMICs.
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AI-Powered Radiotherapy Planning for Cervical and Head & Neck Cancer
A new AI tool helps plan radiation therapy for cervical and head-and-neck cancers to save time and reduce the need for specialized staff.
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AI-powered radiotherapy planning for cervical and head-and-neck cancer
A UK study from University College London uses AI to plan radiotherapy for cervical and head-and-neck cancers to save time and reduce the need for specialized staff, aiming to help patients in LMICs.
-
AI-powered radiotherapy planning for cervical and head & neck cancer
A non-randomized study will test an AI system that helps plan radiotherapy for cervical and head & neck cancers to save time and resources in LMICs.
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.