Radiotherapy showcase innovation at international cancer congress
Colleagues from the St Bartholomew's Hospital Radiotherapy department have returned from Stockholm after presenting their work at ESTRO 2026, one of the world’s leading congresses in cancer treatment.
Held from 15 to 19 May, the event is organised by the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO), a non-profit organisation that brings together experts from across the world to improve cancer care through research, education and collaboration.
This year’s theme, “Innovating Radiation Oncology, Together,” focused on how different specialists can work more closely to improve treatment and outcomes for patients.
Seven staff from Barts Health attended, including therapeutic radiographers, radiotherapy physicists and a consultant clinical oncologist.
The team played an active role in the programme, sharing their work with international colleagues through presentations and posters.
Their research highlighted new ways to make radiotherapy more efficient and effective for patients. Among the projects presented, trainee medical physicist Olivia Walford (pictured) showcased work exploring how artificial intelligence could support radiotherapy planning.
Planning treatment can be complex and time‑consuming, which can affect how quickly patients are able to start care. The tool she studied, called RapidPlan, uses machine learning to help clinicians create treatment plans more efficiently, particularly for prostate cancer, where planning can be especially challenging.
Reflecting on the experience, Olivia said: “I was honoured to represent Barts and proud to share the research we are doing. It was a fantastic opportunity to connect with professionals from across the world, exchange ideas, and learn from innovations at other centres.”
The congress gave the team the chance to learn from global experts and bring back new ideas, helping ensure Barts remains at the forefront of high-quality cancer care.
Carys Upton, a trainee gynaecology consultant radiographer whose work also focuses on AI in care planning, said the conference was “a valuable opportunity to network, share ideas and learn.”
Her colleague, Nisha Bhudia, a trainee urology consultant radiographer, said it was “a great chance to showcase the real impact of our work at Barts in improving patient experience.”
She presented how a local prehabilitation programme has helped reduce anxiety for prostate cancer radiotherapy patients.
Pictured above: Olivia at the conference, and below, colleagues Carys, Nisha and Will.
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