Interview with Professor Brita Singers Sørensen

The European Union, through the European Alliance for Medical Radiation Protection Research (EURAMED), fosters advancements in medical radiation protection by bringing together leading organisations such as ESTRO. Within this framework, the Rocc-n-Roll project, which is funded by Horizon 2020, has developed a roadmap and strategic research agenda to guide European research in this field from a patient-centred view.

In alignment with these efforts, ESTRO has prepared a guidance document, which was recently validated by the Board and which you can access at the end of this article. This document, entitled Priorities of ESTRO for engagement within the EURAMED framework, outlines ESTRO’s strategic priorities in radiation oncology research, with a focus on radiation safety, optimised cancer care, and the fostering of collaborative research across Europe.

To delve deeper into ESTRO’s involvement within EURAMED and the developments that have been established under the Rocc-n-Roll framework, we spoke with Professor Brita Singers Sørensen, who is a member of the ESTRO Scientific Council and of the working group that developed this paper. In this interview, she shares insights into how ESTRO is shaping its contributions to this important initiative.

ESTRO: Can you explain EURAMED’s role in shaping research for medical radiation protection and how ESTRO fits into this framework?

Prof Sørensen: EURAMED is a platform under EURATOM for promoting the integration and efficiency of European research in clinical radiation protection. As radiation protection in the sense of sparing normal tissue is a fundamental part of radiotherapy, ESTRO shares this interest.

What are the key priorities for ESTRO within EURAMED, and why are they particularly relevant to radiation oncology?

EURAMED formulated a roadmap for its research vision, named the Rocc-n-Roll roadmap, and the key points in this roadmap are very much aligned with what is seen as key priorities for ESTRO. We have an interest in interdisciplinary and interprofessional research that has a potential impact on clinical practice, such as improving treatment outcomes through minimising side effects.

The Rocc-n-Roll roadmap outlines eight key breakthroughs in medical radiation applications. Which of these breakthroughs are most relevant to radiation oncology, and how can ESTRO leverage them?

All the breakthroughs mentioned are relevant from a radiation oncology perspective, with a focus on radiation safety, optimised cancer care, and collaborative cancer research within Europe. We have chosen to highlight some topics in the priority paper, which cover the eight breakthroughs, and these are centred on structural support for clinical evidence building and the improvement of radiobiological understanding.

How does the roadmap help to address critical gaps in research, such as the 'Death Valley' of translational research?

There is a need for financial support for projects to implement new treatment technologies in the clinic. Often it is more difficult to obtain funding for projects that come after the proof-of-principle phase, and this area is what is referred to as the “death valley of translational research”. ESTRO has an interest in the implementation of new technologies to improve patient care and, therefore, would like to support the funding of implementation phases by having them recognised in funding calls and rules.

Why is interdisciplinary collaboration important in radiation oncology research and how can EURAMED encourage it?

Most of the research within radiation oncology is by nature very interdisciplinary, especially when it comes to translational research. This must be acknowledged when funding calls are made.

Brita Singers Sørensen

Novo Nordisk Foundation professor

Danish Centre for Particle Therapy, and

Experimental Clinical Oncology, Department of Oncology

Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark

 

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