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Radiation Oncology

High precision, Innovation and Healthy Ageing for Cancer Survivors Department
High precision, Innovation and Healthy Ageing for Cancer Survivors
For 50% of all cancer patients radiotherapy is an essential part of their treatment improving cure. We aim to provide the most accurate radiation delivery techniques. Yet, radiation damage to normal tissues can cause severe side effects. We strive to cure cancer and predict, prevent and treat side effects.

We want to understand the effects of radiotherapy, develop improved treatment strategies and evaluate their effectiveness to improve patient outcomes. We are driven to optimise treatment for each individual patient.

To this end, we bring together multidisciplinary experts from radiotherapy, radiobiology, clinical physics and data science. The research is supported by 5 core facilities: Biology lab, Artificial Intelligence lab, Radiotherapy Modelling, UMC Groningen Proton Therapy Center (GPTC) and Particle Therapy Research Center (PARTREC).

Jointly we work on our GRayLines Research Programme consisting of 4 research lines:

  • Model based patient selection and personalised radiotherapy
  • Mechanisms and treatment of radiation damage to normal tissue 
  • Image guided and adaptive radiotherapy
  • Experimental particle therapy
Relevance

How our research benefits to society

Adopting modern technologies has allowed us to increase cure rates greatly. Still, long term cancer survival is not yet possible for all patients and remains a challenge. 

Moreover, for the growing number of cancer survivors, improving health after treatment is increasingly important.  

  • We improve patients’ quality of life by reducing radiation-induced side effects by (further) developing high precision photon and proton therapy and advanced treatments to recover toxicity such as cell based regenerative therapies.
  • We increase cure by investigating innovative radiotherapy and combined treatments aimed at increasing tumour control while keeping side effects to an acceptable level
  • We optimise the value of health care by developing strategies for selecting patients who benefit most from innovative treatments such as proton therapy.

Ultimately, our ambition is to enable joint decision making with patients to yield the most valuable individualised treatment for each patient, based on the full assessment of efficacy of all treatment options. This will lead to optimised healthy ageing and contribute to a sustainable future of health.
 

  • We learn from our patients using extensive prospective data registration programmes for several patient groups. At the department of Radiation Oncology, we managed to set up a number of worldwide unique databases containing prospectively collected data of all patients, including head and neck cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, esophageal cancer, CNS and gynaecological cancer.

    In the standard follow-up programmes, we assess acute complications at the start and during treatment, and six weeks after treatment. Late complications are monitored every six months for (at least) five years after completion of the radiotherapy. Finally, quality of life indicators as defined by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) are assessed at start, conclusion and every six months after completion of the radiotherapy.
     

  • Our Continuous Radiation Learning System allows us to continuously evaluate and improve our treatments.  Starting from the prospective data registration programmes, we have adopted a Continuous Radiation Learning System based on the model-based approach to continuously evaluate and improve our patient treatment.

    • We develop Normal Tissue Complication Probability (NTCP) models describing the relationship between dose to normal tissues and the risk of complications, using the prospective data. 
    • We perform dose optimisation in treatment plans for either photon or proton treatment, to arrive at the dose distribution with the most favourable complication profile.
    • We translate the dose reduction to a predicted clinical benefit to support decision making.
    • We select patients based on NTCP-model and treat them with the most optimal radiotherapy plan (either photon therapy or proton therapy).
    • For each patient treated according to the model-based selection approach, the patient- and treatment related data again are collected in the prospective data registry, closing the cycle.
       
  • We continuously translate novel knowledge obtained from radiobiology research from Bench to Bed and back

    • We continuously work on improving our insight in the mechanisms of radiotherapy induced normal tissue damage. 
    • Information on mechanisms are attempted to be included in decision making models and treatments to predict, prevent and treat side effects.
    • We use cellular and patient derived organoid models to study mechanism of radiation response and post-irradiation regeneration potential
    • Develop treatments, such as stem cell therapies, to treat side effects
       
  • We have strategic collaboration with multiple industry partners to support routine clinical implementation. Public-private partnerships between us and industry partners are strategically very important to extend our research resources and facilitate the upscaling, valorisation and clinical utilisation of our research results. This not only allows routine clinical implementation of novel technologies for the benefit of our patients, but also for patients worldwide. 

    We collaborate with:

    • IBA (BE) on Dynamic ARC®,  SMART CLINIC, and FLASH proton radiotherapy
    • RaySearch (SE) on automated treatment planning in both photon and proton therapy
    • Mirada (UK) on automated segmentation of normal tissues and automatisation in radiotherapy
    • Elekta (SE) on four-dimensional (4D) photon dose reconstruction
    • Siemens Healthineers (NL) on in-beam PET imaging for real-time in vivo verification of proton therapy
       
  • We continuously look for talents who are interested in contributing to our research mission and joining our team. We frequently have a range of vacancies available in our department, such as PhD-students, scientists, technicians and medical doctors. Are you driven to improve radiotherapy treatment and help improve the healthy ageing of cancer survivors? Please contact us for more information. 
     

    • Model based patient selection and personalised radiotherapy. Leaders: Hans Langendijk
    • Understanding mechanisms and treatment of normal tissue radiation damage. Leaders: Rob Coppes, Peter van Luijk and Lara Barazzuol
    • Image guided and adaptive radiotherapy. Leaders: Stefan Both 
    • Experimental particle therapy. Leaders: Simone Brandenburg  

Contact

University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG)
Department of Radiation Oncology
PO Box 30.001
9700 RB Groningen
The Netherlands

Visiting address
University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG)
Department of Radiation Oncology
Hanzeplein 1
9713 GZ Groningen