09/07/2026
A patient at the North West Cancer Centre (NWCC), Altnagelvin Hospital, has become the first in Northern Ireland to take part in a major clinical research study for late-stage lung cancer, marking an important milestone for cancer services within the Western Trust.
This is the first radiotherapy research trial to open at the North West Cancer Centre, reflecting the Trust’s continued commitment to expanding access to cutting-edge treatments and clinical research opportunities for patients in the North West.
The patient has been recruited to the TOURIST platform trial, the world’s largest lung clinical trial exploring the use of radiotherapy in the treatment of advanced lung cancer. The study is funded by a £3.4 million grant from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The trial is investigating whether modern radiotherapy techniques can improve outcomes for patients with late-stage advanced lung cancer.
TOURIST is sponsored by The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester and managed by the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, with the Western Trust playing a key role in delivering the study locally.
Speaking about the development, Malek Raafat, Consultant Clinical Oncologist at the Western Trust said:
“We are delighted to see the first patient recruited to this important clinical trial at the North West Cancer Centre. This reflects the dedication of our multidisciplinary teams in bringing innovative research opportunities closer to home for our patients.
“Participation in trials such as TOURIST ensures that patients in the Western Trust area can access the very latest developments in cancer treatment, while also contributing to research that has the potential to improve outcomes for patients worldwide.”
The Western Trust is extremely thankful to our partners at local charity Friends of the Cancer Centre, which has funded a Clinical Trials Radiographer to support this groundbreaking research study.
Ana Wilkinson, Chief Executive of Friends of the Cancer Centre, said:
“Friends of the Cancer Centre is incredibly proud to be part of the very first radiotherapy clinical trial at the North West Cancer Centre. It is an important milestone for the hospital and the dedicated team who are striving for the best treatment and care for their patients. Most importantly, the trial also marks a milestone for patients in the North West and West, who now have access to the latest lung cancer trial at a hospital closer to home.
“I would like to thank our wonderful supporters, as without them we would not be able to fund the vital member of the radiotherapy team who was instrumental in bringing the trial to the North West Cancer Centre. Their support is helping to shape treatment for cancer patients today and in the future.”
Lung cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK but remains the leading cause of cancer-related death, accounting for around 21% of all cancer deaths annually. Between 85% and 90% of cases are non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and almost half are diagnosed at a late stage when the disease has already spread. The TOURIST platform is the first study in 20 years to explore how radiotherapy could benefit patients with late-stage advanced lung cancer.
The trial uses an advanced radiotherapy technique known as volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), delivered using a linear accelerator (LINAC), allowing highly targeted treatment of tumours while minimising damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
The TOURIST platform currently has two trials recruiting within it – PRINCE and QUARTZ LUNG – which have been established to assess whether the addition of radiotherapy, alongside other treatments, can improve outcomes and quality of life for lung cancer patients.
The patient at the North West Cancer Centre has been recruited to the PRINCE trial.
Professor Matthew Hatton, Chief Investigator for PRINCE, said:
“Delivering radiotherapy in this way allows for highly precise treatment, reduces treatment time and uses a lower overall dose of radiation. This means we can target more cancer cells while minimising damage to surrounding healthy tissue. If successful, this trial has the potential to change clinical practice worldwide for patients with advanced lung cancer.”
The PRINCE trial aims to recruit 472 patients with newly diagnosed stage advanced non-small cell lung cancer from hospitals across the UK. It opened to recruitment in autumn 2024, with this patient among the first to take part at the North West Cancer Centre.
Nicky Downs, Senior Trial Manager for the TOURIST platform, said:
“It is wonderful to see the first patient being recruited to the TOURIST platform in Northern Ireland. We are so grateful to all the patients across the UK and the Republic of Ireland who have agreed to take part in TOURIST so far, and we look forward to giving more people the opportunity to take part in this exciting research and help to further our knowledge of this disease. We hope to be able to expand the platform in the coming months with new trials, allowing us to include even more patients, understand the disease better, and learn how we can control patient’s symptoms and improve survival.”
Dr David Woolf, Clinical Director of Clinical Oncology at The Christie and the Chief Investigator for the TOURIST platform, said:
“The TOURIST trials represent a huge shift in the way we potentially treat lung cancer patients and could bring additional benefit to patients undergoing their standard treatments in the future. Radiotherapy techniques have advanced significantly over the past two decades, and this trial will help us understand how best to use these developments for patients with advanced disease.”
Professor Anthony Gordon, Director of NIHR’s Health Technology Assessment Programme, said:
“Living with late-stage lung cancer is difficult and challenging for patients and their families. This important trial demonstrates innovation by harnessing the latest radiotherapy treatments aiming to improve care for people with this disease to help ease their symptoms and improve outcomes and life expectancy.
“Funded by the public for the public, NIHR aims to target cutting edge research where it can make the biggest difference to people’s lives and tackle the nation’s most urgent health and care challenges.”