Prof Corinne Faivre-Finn, Prof M Van Herk
No more applications being accepted
Competition Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)
About the Project
Background: Radiotherapy plays a major role in the treatment of lung cancer. However, the radiotherapy dose needed to eradicate the cancer cells can also damage the surrounding healthy organs, such as the heart. Over the last two years, the association between dose delivered to the heart and excess mortality in lung cancer patients treated with radiotherapy has emerged. The precise mechanism of damage and which area of the heart is more sensitive to radiation is not currently known.
Aims:
1. To investigate the effect of radiotherapy on heart sub-structures
• retrospectively, using large amounts of existing radiotherapy data
• prospectively, using cardiac imaging and blood biomarkers
2. To define heart dose constraints and develop new heart sparing treatment strategies
Methods: The overall project comprises four main sections:
1. Data mining to define specific radiation sensitive regions in the heart. To validate the pilot data generated by Manchester, multiple radiotherapy datasets will be combined
• data mining validation using an external dataset
• collection and analysis of retrospective cardiac risk factors
2. A prospective study will collect cardiac risk factors and detailed heart imaging and cardiac blood biomarkers to evaluate effect of the radiotherapy on the heart
• prospective blood samples
• prospective heart imaging
3. Definition of heart dose constraints, including planning organ at risk volume margins
4. Clinical translation
• Determine the safety margins to take into account daily difference in heart position
• Planning study including a comparison of protons vs. photons to avoid heart sub-
structures
• Clinical trial design to demonstrate the impact of heart avoidance strategies
How the results will be used:
Establishing detailed radiotherapy dose constraints (limits) for the heart will lead to the delivery of heart-sparing radiotherapy. We estimate that this strategy will improve one-year survival by approximately 10%.
For more information about this PhD scheme please visit http://www.crukcentre.manchester.ac.uk/Training/PhD-Training-Scheme
All applicants must:
• hold a minimum upper second class (or equivalent) undergraduate degree in relevant subject
• be post-registration clinicians and ideally have a specialist training post;
• have been resident and worked within the EEA (European Economic Area) for at least three years prior to application
Funding Notes
The Fellowships are usually tenable for three years, although in certain circumstances they may extend to four years duration. We will provide running expenses, an appropriate salary in line with the applicant’s current salary and grade and full coverage of University PhD fees.
Candidates whose nationality is outside the UK/EU will be awarded a contribution towards their fees equivalent to the amount awarded to home/EU students. Funding for the remaining fees will need to be identified in order to progress your application (the shortfall will be £15,879 per annum).
To apply please visit http://www.crukcentre.manchester.ac.uk/Training/PhD-Training-Scheme/Application-Process-and-Important-Dates