Testing the safety of a one-week radiotherapy schedule

What’s the project?

Researchers at the Royal Marsden and Institute of Cancer Research are designing a clinical trial (FAST-Forward Boost). This trial will test whether patients having radiotherapy to the breast, including a boost dose, can be safely and effectively treated in 1 week rather than 3 or 4 weeks.

People with a slightly higher risk of breast cancer returning (for example women of 50 years and under, or people with higher grade cancers), are given a “boost dose” or extra dose of radiotherapy during their treatment and this is usually given over three or four weeks.  

This trial could mean that breast cancer patients could be offered a 1 week course of radiotherapy in the future. This would mean shorter treatments for people with breast cancer. And it could free up radiotherapy resources for others.

Why do you want me to be involved?

Your experiences and opinions can help researchers understand what outcomes are most important for people with breast cancer. It can also help the trial to be meaningful and accessible for participants. 

What will you ask me to do?

You will be asked to join an online focus group in February or March. Focus groups will be an hour long. In these focus groups, you can give your opinions about the design of the trial, to help make sure that it is patient centred.

Focus Groups will be held on:
Monday 6 February 3pm – 4pm
Thursday 2 March 1pm – 2 pm
Thursday 2 March 7pm – 8pm

Who can take part?

You may be eligible to take part in the trial if you have been diagnosed with a T1-3 N0-3 M0 breast cancer and have been recommended to undergo adjuvant radiotherapy to the breast +/- nodes with a tumour bed boost.

If you’re not sure whether this applies to you, please contact Dr Anna Kirby to confirm.