AI-powered 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 AI software to create radiation treatment plans more quickly and accurately for people with cervical or head and neck cancer, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
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-11399430 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If I join, researchers will use AI software to draw the tumor and nearby organs on my CT scans and to design the radiation beams needed to treat me. They plan a non-randomized, prospective study enrolling about 706 patients split between cervical and head and neck cancer to see if AI plans meet clinical standards and reduce planning time. The team will compare AI-generated plans to usual human-made plans for quality, safety, workflow time, and cost. The goal is to shorten planning from weeks to under a day so more patients in low- and middle-income countries can get timely curative radiotherapy.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people diagnosed with cervical or head and neck cancer who are scheduled for CT-based radiotherapy planning at one of the participating treatment centers.
Not a fit: People with cancers other than cervical or head and neck, those not receiving radiotherapy, or those treated at non-participating centers are unlikely to be helped by this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could allow faster, accurate radiotherapy plans so more patients—especially in low- and middle-income countries—get timely curative treatment.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies of AI auto-contouring and treatment-planning tools have often sped up workflows and produced plans comparable to human planners in high-resource settings, but large prospective trials in low- and middle-income countries remain 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.