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Ultra-fast radiotherapy may spare healthy tissue while still killing tumours, but every centre is testing it differently. A coordinated programme would agree the measurements and run the trials that settle whether it works.
FLASH radiotherapy (dose delivered in under a second at ultra-high dose rate) shows a normal-tissue sparing effect in animals; the first human trial (FAST-01, proton FLASH for bone metastases) showed feasibility. Evidence is fragmented across manufacturers and centres with different beam types (electron, proton, photon prototypes), dose-rate definitions and dosimetry. The programme would fund a consortium to standardise dosimetry and dose-rate reporting, build a shared preclinical platform to define the biological conditions of the effect, and run coordinated multi-centre phase 2 and randomised trials in indications where normal-tissue toxicity limits cure (head and neck, thoracic, paediatric). Without coordination the field risks a decade of unconvincing small studies.
Shares IBA (Ion Beam Applications), FLASH radiotherapy, Varian (Siemens Healthineers), Surgery and radiotherapy cure most, get least.
Shares Varian (Siemens Healthineers), Surgery and radiotherapy cure most, get least, Proton therapy, Toxicity and quality of life are undervalued.
Shares A regulatory pathway for new radiotherapy techniques modelled on drug development, Core-funded radiotherapy trials infrastructure with central quality assurance, Proton therapy.
Shares A regulatory pathway for new radiotherapy techniques modelled on drug development, Pooled coverage-with-evidence for proton therapy across all centres, Proton therapy.
Shares A regulatory pathway for new radiotherapy techniques modelled on drug development, Pooled coverage-with-evidence for proton therapy across all centres, Varian (Siemens Healthineers), Surgery and radiotherapy cure most, get least.
Shares Core-funded radiotherapy trials infrastructure with central quality assurance, Varian (Siemens Healthineers), Surgery and radiotherapy cure most, get least.
Shares IBA (Ion Beam Applications), Varian (Siemens Healthineers), Proton therapy.
Shares Varian (Siemens Healthineers), Surgery and radiotherapy cure most, get least, Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.