A new study from researchers in the UK suggests that we may not need to wait years to find out if a new cancer treatment works. Instead, a new method called RAPID-RT could help doctors learn faster by using real patient data from everyday hospital care.
The study, presented at ESTRO 2025 and published in the journal Radiotherapy and Oncology, focuses on people with lung cancer who receive radiation treatment, also known as radiotherapy.
Radiotherapy is a common and powerful way to treat lung cancer. It works by using high-energy beams to kill cancer cells. However, because the lungs sit close to the heart, it’s hard to avoid exposing parts of the heart to some of the radiation. This exposure can lead to heart problems, which may lower a patient’s chance of surviving the cancer or affect their quality of life.
Previous research done in Manchester found that the top of the heart is especially sensitive to radiation. In fact, patients who received more radiation to this area of the heart seemed to have worse outcomes.
With this knowledge, doctors at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester began using a new “heart-sparing” technique. The goal was to protect this sensitive part of the heart during treatment, without affecting how well the radiation worked against the tumor.
What makes this study different is not just the new technique, but how quickly researchers were able to study its impact. Traditional clinical trials take a long time to plan and run. They also have very strict rules about who can join.
This means many people who receive cancer treatment in real life are left out of the research. In contrast, the RAPID-RT approach includes almost everyone receiving treatment, making it faster and more realistic.
Between January 2021 and February 2025, the researchers looked at the cases of 1,708 patients with stage I to III lung cancer who received radiotherapy. Before April 2023, 922 patients received standard treatment. After that date, 786 patients were treated using the heart-sparing method.
The new technique focused on limiting radiation to the upper part of the heart, which the researchers called the Cardiac Avoidance Area. This part of the heart received no more than 19.5 units of radiation over the course of 20 to 33 treatment sessions—unless protecting it would reduce the effect on the tumor.
To make the research as quick and inclusive as possible, they used a “rapid-learning” design. This meant every patient was automatically included unless they specifically said no. Interestingly, out of 786 patients treated with the new method, only one person chose not to take part.
Early results are promising. After switching to the heart-sparing technique, researchers saw a small but noticeable increase in survival after 12 months. While this may not seem like a big change, it shows that even small tweaks to how radiation is given might lead to better outcomes, especially when applied across many patients.
One of the key strengths of this study is how it uses real-world data. Rather than waiting years for clinical trials to finish, this method allows doctors to adjust treatment strategies in real time. This means new, potentially life-saving techniques can be offered to patients much sooner.
Experts believe this could be a major shift in how we improve cancer treatments. Professor Matthias Guckenberger, President of ESTRO, explained that improving cancer care is not just about using new machines. It’s also about learning quickly and making smart changes based on real evidence.
The RAPID-RT method shows that it’s possible to test new treatment ideas faster and with more patients than ever before. It’s especially useful in areas like radiotherapy, where making small changes to treatment might have a big impact, but testing those changes in traditional trials can be slow and difficult.
In summary, this study offers an exciting new way to improve cancer treatment. By using real patient data and avoiding long waits, doctors can learn faster and give patients better care. The early findings suggest that protecting the top of the heart during lung cancer radiotherapy may help people live longer.
More research is needed to confirm this and to see whether other parts of radiotherapy can be improved using this rapid-learning approach. But so far, the results look hopeful—and could change how we test and improve treatments in the future.
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The research findings can be found in Radiotherapy and Oncology.
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