NIH-funded research U01 cooperative agreement

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-11399435 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This project uses artificial intelligence to create radiotherapy treatment plans faster and with fewer specialists for people with cervical or head and neck cancers, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

More Head and Neck Cancer research and trials

Quick facts

Grant typeU01 cooperative agreement
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity College London
NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (London, United Kingdom)
Project startSeptember 1, 2022
Project endAugust 31, 2027
Funding year2025
Award (this year)$42,519
NIH project number3U01CA269143-03S8
Project IDNIH-11399435 on NIH RePORTER

Who could benefit from this research

Could help

People diagnosed with cervical cancer or head and neck cancer who are candidates for radiotherapy at participating hospitals would be the ideal participants.

Less likely to help

People without cervical or head and neck cancer, those not receiving radiotherapy, or patients whose care requires highly individualized or experimental planning approaches may not benefit.

What this research studies

You would have CT images processed by AI that draws the tumor and nearby organs and proposes the size, shape, and position of radiation beams. Clinicians will review and adjust the AI-generated contours and plans before treatment. The project will enroll about 706 patients with cervical or head and neck cancer and follow how well the AI plans match clinical standards, how long planning takes, and the costs. The goal is to reduce planning time from weeks to less than a day and lower the specialist workforce needed to deliver radiotherapy.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this could let more patients start radiotherapy sooner and expand access to curative treatment where specialist planners are scarce.

How similar studies have gone: Early studies and pilot tools show AI can automate contouring and planning steps, but large prospective patient-level evidence is still 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.

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.