We know that patients can find the process of undergoing radiotherapy disempowering, and this may hamper patients’ ability to recover quickly or return to activities of normal living. Patients often report feeling a lack of control during the cancer pathway especially during radiotherapy where patients are typically required to passively lie on the linear accelerator couch while Radiation therapists (Therapeutic Radiographers) position them for treatment. Yet we know that positional accuracy is critical for ensuring prescribed radiation doses are delivered to the target volume to reduce the risk of local recurrence or prevent unnecessary tissue toxicity in adjacent normal tissue. 

With the advent of upright radiotherapy there is an opportunity to investigate novel patient set-up processes that may facilitate patient empowerment, while maintaining necessary levels of accuracy and reproducibility. Examples of technologies which could be considered in this project include: virtual reality, visual displays to provide patients with additional information regarding their treatment set-ups, and game-based systems. 

Empowerment is “a multi-dimensional process that helps people gain control over their own lives and increases their capacity to act on issues that they themselves define as important,” European Patient Forum. 

This project will be conducted in collaboration with Leo Cancer Care. Founded in 2016, Leo Cancer Care is a young, innovative company specialising in medical devices for upright radiotherapy. The company is developing upright patient positioning systems, imaging scanners, and treatment delivery systems (Leo Cancer Care’s technology is not yet available for clinical use). Leo Cancer Care has offices in Crawley, near London (UK) and Middleton, Wisconsin (USA).

Goal:  

To investigate novel technologies which could aid upright patient set-up processes, and facilitate patient empowerment, while maintaining the levels of accuracy and reproducibility necessary for radiotherapy. This project aims to elucidate the roles of patient education / information, and the effectiveness of patient self-positioning for upright radiotherapy, using technological aids. 

Tasks: 

• To collaborate with the wider UPLIFT project group to evaluate technologies and patient alignment options to support patient self-positioning, for the delivery of upright radiotherapy.  

• A consideration of the effectiveness of optical set-up technologies for radiotherapy patient positioning, including the challenges for patient self positioning in an upright position.  

• An investigation of the use of virtual reality / patient-facing displays / game-based technologies to support patient education and empowerment 

• Use of participatory research methodologies to co-design with patients and health care practitioners product specification(s) for person-centered upright radiotherapy 

• Collaboration with industry on technological interventions to help patients practice the self-positioning for upright RT, with support from Radiation Therapists.  

• Feasibility experiments (non-clinical) to test prototype systems, 

• Develop and maintain co-operative networks, 

• Participate in teaching, supervision or mentoring at Sheffield Hallam University, 

• Research collaboration with Leo Cancer Care, 

• Secondment at CLB and CNAO for investigating the human aspects of radiotherapy and patient workflows, 

• Close collaboration with PhD students at Loughborough University, CLB and CNAO, 

• Presentation of research in the form of peer-reviewed publications, reports and oral presentations in workshops, symposiums and conferences, 
• Participation in Consortium training activities and secondment projects