Professor Sinead Brennan
Clinical Lead, Irish Research Radiation Oncology Group (IRROG)
Radiotherapy is vital in cancer treatment, yet research funding is limited. One Irish research group is expanding access to clinical trials, improving outcomes for patients.
The Irish Research Radiation Oncology Group (IRROG) is a national clinical trials group funded by the Health Research Board (HRB), which also receives charity funding from St Luke’s Institute of Cancer Research. Despite radiotherapy being used to treat half of cancer patients, radiotherapy research only receives 3% of cancer research funding globally. The group plays a key role in improving the national radiotherapy research infrastructure, enhancing national and international collaboration, streamlining research procedures and increasing access to clinical trials for radiotherapy patients across Ireland.
Importance of radiotherapy trials
Radiotherapy is a major cancer treatment which is constantly evolving. Improvements in radiotherapy design and delivery significantly increase patients’ chances of cure and treatment outcomes. Moreover, radiotherapy contributes to 40% of cancer cures. Patients who participate in clinical trials have higher cure rates, and all patients treated in research-active hospitals that engage in clinical trials have better outcomes. Therefore, all patients benefit when their hospitals achieve the international standards of excellence mandated for clinical trials.
Radiotherapy is a major
cancer treatment which
is constantly evolving.
Expanding access to clinical trials
Since the formation of IRROG, the number of patients accessing interventional clinical trials in radiation oncology has increased from 74 in 2021 to 234 in 2024. In 2024, 16 trials were opened in radiation oncology departments across the country; five new trials opened in breast cancer, prostate cancer, head and neck cancer and pancreatic cancer. In 2025, the number of trials open around the country in radiation oncology is set to double. IRROG is currently coordinating four Irish investigator-designed clinical trials, with three more in the development phase.
Future goals and investment needs
The Irish National Cancer Strategy (NCS) states that every patient has a right to access a clinical trial, and yet, only 2% of patients currently access new treatments as part of a clinical trial. A target of 6% has been set by the NCS, but to achieve this, significant investment will be required. In 2024, St Luke’s Radiation Oncology Network exceeded this target, with 206 patients accessing new treatments as part of a clinical trial. As clinical lead of IRROG, I hope to improve cancer cure rates and outcomes through high-quality clinical trials so that patients can access the right trial for them.
