Advanced Radiotherapy Network + (ARN+) extension

在英国，每两个人中就有一个会在他们的一生中被诊断出患有癌症，而在那些存活下来的人中，41%的人可以将他们的治愈归功于包括放射治疗在内的治疗。放射治疗的成本效益很高，仅占英国癌症治疗总成本的6%。在放射治疗中，放射剂量的传递和与肿瘤的一致使用治疗计划，该计划基于患者及其肿瘤的CT扫描。治疗方案使用不同角度的辐射束，以最大限度地增加对肿瘤的剂量（和损害），并尽量减少对周围健康组织的损害。限制也适用于“危险器官”，这些器官往往对辐射更敏感，因此要求剂量尽可能低。放射治疗通常分段进行，每段通常为1-2 Gy。一个疗程的放射治疗通常是在4-6周内每个工作日进行一次。放射治疗寻求最大限度地损害肿瘤（使其消毒），同时尽量减少对周围健康组织的损害（减少副作用）。近年来，随着新机器和新方法的发展，放射治疗发展迅速。这反过来又带来了更好的成像、治疗计划和剂量测定，使剂量能够更准确地传递并符合肿瘤。这提高了患者的癌症存活率，减少了副作用。然而，为了保持这一进步速度并为患者提供更好的治疗，我们需要创新和解决方案来应对挑战，这些挑战仍然面临着先进的rt。这正是STFC社区可以产生巨大影响的地方，与临床社区合作，因为他们共同拥有有效应对这些新挑战所需的技能。此外，放射治疗的最新发展，例如核磁共振和质子治疗，证明STFC社区需要与临床社区和商业伙伴合作。如果英国要保持竞争力，为患者提供更好的治疗，并为英国经济创造收入和影响，就不能再依赖偶然的合作伙伴关系。这就是高级放射治疗网络+ (ARN+)寻求解决的问题。通过国家癌症研究所（NCRI）放射治疗临床和转化工作组（CTRad）积极与临床界合作，它已经能够与来自NHS的临床医生和临床科学家建立一个来自STFC的新社区。这一应用是现有成功的ARN+的延伸，其目的是巩固ARN+的成功，并通过与原子能机构合作，为其活动发展全球层面，使其更进一步。它还寻求向业界展示其活动，并开发创新的临床管道。最后，它希望在英国研究与创新的框架内与STFC合作，在高级放射治疗领域建立全国共识、研究路线图和资助战略。

In the UK, one in two people will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime and of those who survive, 41% can attribute their cure to a treatment including radiotherapy. Radiotherapy is very cost effective, accounting for only 6% of the total cost of cancer care in the UK. In radiotherapy the way the radiation dose is delivered and conformed to the tumour uses a treatment plan, which is based around a CT scan of the patient and their tumour. The treatment plan uses beams of radiation at different angles, to maximise the dose (and damage) to the tumour and to minimise the damage to the surrounding healthy tissue. Constraints are also applied for "organs at risk" which are often more sensitive to radiation and so require the dose to be as low as possible. Radiotherapy is normally delivered in fractions, with a fraction being typically 1-2 Gy. A course of radiotherapy is typically 1 fraction every week-day over a period of 4-6 weeks.Radiotherapy seeks to maximise the damage to the tumour (to sterilise it) while minimising the damage to the surrounding healthy tissue (to reduce side effects). In recent years radiotherapy has developed rapidly with the development of new machines and methodologies. These in turn, have resulted in better imaging, treatment planning and dosimetry, which enable the dose to be more accurately delivered and conformed to the tumour. This has resulted in better cancer survival and reduced side effects for patients. However, to maintain this rate of advancement and deliver even better treatments for patients we require innovation and solutions to the challenges, which still confront advanced RT. This is exactly where the STFC community can make an enormous impact, working in partnership with the clinical community, as they together they have exactly the skill set which is needed to effectively tackle these new challenges as they arise. In addition, the latest developments in radiotherapy - such as MR-linacs and proton therapy - evidence the need for the STFC community to work in partnership with the clinical community and commercial partners. If the UK is to remain competitive and deliver even better treatments for patients, and produce income and impact for the UK economy, it can no longer rely on serendipitous partnerships. This is what this Advanced Radiotherapy Network + (ARN+) seeks to address. Working actively with the clinical community through the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Clinical and Translational working group on Radiotherapy (CTRad) it has been able to establish a new community drawn from across STFC with clinicians and clinical scientists from the NHS. This application is an extension of an existing successful ARN + and is aimed at both consolidating the success of the ARN+ and taking it one step further by developing a global dimension for its activities by working with the IAEA. It also seeks to showcase its activities to industry and develop a pipeline of innovation to the clinic. Finally it looks to work with STFC within the framework of UK Research and Innovation to build a national consensus, research roadmap and funding strategy in the field of Advanced Radiotherapy.