New Delhi: A large international trial named ARCHERY has found that AI technology can help plan the delivery of life-saving radiotherapy for cervical and
prostate cancer. The trial was conducted by researchers from University College London and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
Cervical cancer accounts for nearly 94 per cent of deaths in low- and middle-income countries, with around 350,000 women dying from the disease in 2022. Radiotherapy, considered the main curative treatment, continues to face a severe shortage of skilled professionals, making access one of the biggest challenges. Currently, only 10 per cent of patients in low-income countries receive radiotherapy, compared to around 40 per cent in middle-income nations.
Researchers found that the AI technology could quickly generate high-quality radiotherapy plans, helping save both time and cost. They said this may allow more patients to receive timely treatment by helping bridge workforce gaps in cancer care.
The ARCHERY trial involved more than 1,000 cancer patients across hospitals in India, South Africa, Jordan, and Malaysia. It focused on three major cancers — cervix, prostate, and head and neck cancer. The study evaluated whether AI could achieve international best-practice radiotherapy planning, a process usually carried out by oncologists and medical physicists, making the technology suitable for use across different healthcare settings, including countries such as the UK.
How AI simplifies radiotherapy planning
Planning radiotherapy involves several detailed and time-consuming steps carried out by oncologists and medical physicists. Oncologists are required to identify tumours on CT scans, along with regions where cancer may spread and healthy tissues that need protection from radiation exposure. Physicists then determine the most effective size, shape, and positioning of radiation beams for treatment delivery. Traditionally, the entire process can take several days or even weeks.
Researchers said the AI-based software can automate much of this work by identifying target structures and generating optimal radiation beam plans within a significantly shorter period.
The findings were presented at the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology congress in Stockholm. According to the results, the AI technology successfully planned radiotherapy to an international high standard in more than 95 per cent of cervical cancer cases.
For prostate cancer, researchers said the technology achieved high-standard treatment planning in 85 per cent of cases, a level considered suitable for routine clinical use. Results related to head and neck cancer are expected later this year.
Experts highlight global cancer care gap
Aggarwal said, “In a usual workflow, planning radiotherapy can take many hours over several weeks, as it depends on the availability of specialised staff. This AI technology can reduce that time to just over an hour. This is important as it has the potential to reduce waiting times and widen access to this life-saving treatment.”
Co-investigator Professor Mahesh Parmar said, “Radiotherapy is a core cancer treatment, helping to cure 40 per cent of cancer cases. Yet millions of people around the world do not have access to it. If they did, we could save more than a million lives a year.
“Our trial also fills an important gap in rigorously testing AI technology for cancer treatment. Unlike our trial, trials testing AI tools are often small-scale, at only one centre, and can have a high risk of bias. Hardly any have been performed outside of high-income country settings, where the need is often greatest.
“This trial highlights the importance of providing the best available evidence to support implementation of the most promising AI technology to deliver improvements in health at scale.”
ESTRO president explains wider benefits of AI
University Hospital Zurich ESTRO president professor Matthias Guckenberger said, “Radiotherapy is a vital tool for treating and curing cancer. It is a highly precise treatment, meaning we can carefully target tumours without damaging the rest of the body. The cost of a radiotherapy machine can be high, but when used effectively, the benefits for cancer patients are enormous.
“The results of the ARCHERY trial show that we can use AI to plan treatment for patients with cervical cancer. The treatments planned with the help of AI were reviewed by experts and, in the majority of cases, were found to be accurate enough for clinical use. Likely, using AI will also speed up the process of planning and delivering treatment.
“Using AI in this way could not only help treat and cure more cancer patients, but it could also save hospital time and resources. There are clear benefits to improving the efficiency of cancer services in countries with fewer resources, where radiotherapy machines may not be available for every patient who needs treatment. However, AI could also improve the efficiency of cancer services globally.
