A new radiotherapy trial has opened at The Christie.
Researchers are looking at whether two de-escalated (lower doses) of targeted radiotherapy are as effective as two regular doses at treating men with intermediate-risk prostate cancer.
Professor Ananya Choudhury is the principal investigator at The Christie. Ananya and the team hope that a lower dose could reduce effects such as urinary problems while still successfully treating the cancer.
Patients on the DESTINATION-2 trial are treated on the MR-Linac – a machine that combines a conventional radiotherapy unit with an MRI scanner. As a result, the team can re-plan the treatment every day, adapting to changes in real time.
“Radiotherapy technology and techniques have come on leaps and bounds in the last few years, and we as a radiotherapy research team are proud to have contributed to that,” comments Professor Cynthia Eccles, Consultant Research Radiographer and Head of Radiotherapy Research at The Christie. “A lot of the research we’re doing now is about making treatment as ‘kind’ on the body as possible while still being effective. DESTINATION-2 is a great example of that.”
The trial, which is funded by industry, is just one of the many radiotherapy trials taking place at The Christie. More than 460 patients took part in 52 trials in 2025 alone.
Pictured: The first MR-Linac patient at The Christie standing next to the MR-Linac machine with Professor Ananya Choudhury.
