The first patients have been recruited to the world’s largest trial using radiotherapy to treat advanced lung cancer.
David Mather is an 81-year-old retired company director from Hale in Greater Manchester.
He has joined TOURIST. It is the first clinical trial in 20 years to look at how radiotherapy could benefit late-stage metastatic lung cancer patients. This could change global clinical practice for treating advanced lung cancer.
The study is funded by over £3.4 million from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). It is being managed by the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit (SCTU).
TOURIST is now opening at sites across the UK. It will soon start recruiting patients at University Hospital Southampton, where SCTU is a collaborator in the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre’s respiratory and allergy theme.
Advanced lung cancer
Lung cancer is the biggest cancer killer in the UK. It accounts for 21% of cancer deaths each year.
David, who is married to Iwona, was diagnosed with stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in October 2024. The diagnosis came after visiting his GP because he was wheezing and felt very tired.
He was referred to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester. He began a course of immunotherapy, which is a type of drug that uses the body’s own immune system to fight the cancer.
As the disease was at an advanced stage and had spread to his bones, he was eligible for the TOURIST study. It is sponsored by The Christie and aims to recruit 1,000 patients.
David said: “I’ve been very healthy all my life, so I consider myself lucky to have got to my age without anything serious.
“When I was offered the opportunity to take part in the trial, I was very happy to do so. If having radiotherapy improves my prognosis and quality of life, and reduces the symptoms, then that will be fantastic.
“I also hope that by participating in this trial I play a part in helping others in the future.”
Reaching more cancer cells
The clinical trial uses a technique called ‘VMAT’ (volumetric modulated arc therapy). It is a form of radiotherapy that uses beams of varying strengths to treat cancer. A device called a linear accelerator (LINAC) delivers high-energy beams while rotating around the patient to treat the tumours.
Giving the radiotherapy in this way has several advantages. It makes it very accurate, shortens the treatment time and uses a lower overall dose of radiation. It means more cancer cells can be killed while also sparing healthy tissue around the organ.
In the past, this machine has only been used to treat patients with early-stage cancer that has not spread.
Incurable disease
NSCLC accounts for 85-90% of all lung cancer cases worldwide. 70% of patients are diagnosed at stage 4 of the disease and there are 1.2m deaths globally each year.
Approximately half of NSCLC lung cancer patients (44%) in the UK present with incurable stage IV disease. This means treatment focuses on controlling symptoms and extending life, rather than curing.
Nicky Downs, Senior Trial Manager for the TOURIST trial at the SCTU, said:
“It’s fantastic to see the first patients being recruited into TOURIST.
“Clinical trials rely on people, like David, volunteering to be part of research. We are so grateful to him and everyone who signs up to the trial.
“Their participation will help us create the evidence which could lead to improved quality of life, and potentially better treatments, for more lung cancer patients in the future.”
Any patient with stage IV NSCLC who would be interested in taking part in the TOURIST trial should discuss it with their local oncologist.
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