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UPright radiotherapy: Learning, Innovation, Fellowship and Training

Project description

Upright radiotherapy expands access and improves cancer care

While it is widely recognised that cancer care should include radiotherapy, access to this is very limited in many parts of the world, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the UPLIFT project aims to deliver radiotherapy to patients in an upright position. The ability to treat patients in an upright position could enable more compact and cost-efficient proton therapy centres to be built. It also offers clinical advantages, including reduced breathing motion. By combining academic excellence, industrial innovation and cross-sector training, the goal is to equip a new generation of experts and position Europe at the forefront of this emerging paradigm.

Objective

Radiotherapy (RT) is a mainstay of modern cancer treatment. Conventionally, RT is delivered to the patient lying on a treatment couch, while a beam steering device (gantry) aims the radiation from any angle around the target. Positioning the patients in upright body posture (upRT) instead enables to orient the patient arbitrarily toward a fixed beam. This enables smaller facility footprint and reduced treatment cost, placing upRT in the core of the UN sustainable development goals, and opening global access to advanced treatment options: 80% of cancer patients live in countries which host only 5% of the world’s RT resources. Moreover, upRT improves patient comfort and is associated with anatomical and physiological advantages, such as reduced breathing motion.
It therefore comes as no surprise that, with new upright patient positioning & imaging solutions entering the market, upRT is enjoying a surge in interest. Yet, key scientific questions remain, international guidelines for upRT are lacking, and existing RT workflows are geared to lying patients. As the first clinics adopt new upRT technologies, there is a global need for trained professionals in industry, clinics and academia, to reach the promised benefits for patient care.
UPLIFT builds this next generation of experts by addressing key research questions related to: treatment planning, clinical workflow and equipment design. Leveraging latest upRT technology available through our world-class consortium, UPLIFT propels Europe to the forefront of the upRT paradigm shift. UPLIFT focuses on: Learning (through its academic and clinical centres of excellence); Innovation (through its leading industrial partners); Fellowship & Training (through an outstanding cross-sector programme of workshops, secondments & mentoring). Input from patient advocacy groups and an internationally renowned advisory board will maximise its impact. UPLIFT will revolutionize modern RT, making it more human, accessible and sustainable.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

Keywords

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-DN - HORIZON TMA MSCA Doctoral Networks

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Call for proposal

(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2023-DN-01

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Coordinator

GSI HELMHOLTZZENTRUM FUR SCHWERIONENFORSCHUNG GMBH
Net EU contribution
€ 521 078,40
Address
PLANCKSTRASSE 1
64291 Darmstadt
Germany
Region
Hessen Darmstadt Darmstadt, Kreisfreie Stadt
Activity type
Other
Links
Total cost
No data

Participants (10)

Partners (12)