AI-guided radiation planning for cervical and head and neck cancers
ARCHERY: Artificial Intelligence based Radiotherapy treatment planning for Cervical and Head and Neck cancer
AI software creates radiation treatment plans faster and with less staff 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-11399429 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project uses AI to automate two key steps in radiotherapy planning: outlining anatomy at risk and defining beam size and position, so plans can be ready in hours instead of weeks. You or others needing curative radiotherapy for cervical or head and neck cancer at participating centers will have CT scans processed by the AI and the AI-generated plans reviewed by clinicians. The non-randomized prospective study aims to enroll about 706 patients (353 per cancer type) to compare plan quality, timesaving, and economic impact of the AI workflow. The goal is to make safe, accurate radiotherapy planning more available in low- and middle-income countries where specialist staff are scarce.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people scheduled to receive curative radiotherapy for cervical or head and neck cancer at the trial's participating clinical centers.
Not a fit: Patients with cancers other than cervical or head and neck tumors, or those requiring highly individualized planning outside the AI's scope, may not benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could speed access to radiotherapy, reduce planning costs and staff needs, and expand treatment capacity in low- and middle-income countries.
How similar studies have performed: Previous pilot work on AI auto-contouring and automated planning has shown promising time savings and acceptable plan quality, but larger prospective trials are still 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.