Improving radiotherapy for lung cancer

Radiotherapy treatment for lung cancer can sometimes damage the heart. Researchers at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust have joined forces with The University of Manchester and a specialist cancer centre (The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester) to try to stop this.

They will investigate which parts of the heart are most susceptible to damage so these areas can be avoided or protected. This could improve the chances of patients surviving a year or more by around 10%. The findings could be applied in other cancers where radiotherapy is commonly used such as breast cancer.