Adaptive radiotherapy

What is adaptive radiotherapy?

Adaptive radiotherapy is an advanced technique that adjusts your treatment plan to match natural day-to-day changes in your body. Tumours and nearby organs can shift slightly due to breathing, digestion, or changes in your bladder or bowel. There are two ways this can be done: online adaptive radiotherapy, where your plan is updated during your appointment based on that day’s imaging, and offline adaptive radiotherapy, where your team reviews changes over several sessions and updates the plan for future treatments. Both approaches help target the cancer more precisely while reducing dose to healthy tissue and lowering the risk of side effects.

The benefits

Adaptive radiotherapy enhances your treatment by accounting for how your body naturally changes from day to day. By adjusting the plan to match these internal shifts, it supports more precise targeting of the tumour, improved protection for nearby healthy organs and lower risk of side effects. The technology also helps treatment sessions run more smoothly with fewer interruptions, creating a more comfortable, consistent, and personalised treatment experience.

How it works

Conventional radiotherapy relies on the body being positioned the same way each day, often requiring preparation such as bladder filling or supportive devices to help you remain still. Adaptive radiotherapy monitors your internal anatomy before, during, or between your treatment sessions. If anything has shifted, the system updates the treatment plan to match your anatomy on the day, helping ensure the radiation is delivered exactly where it’s needed.