Speaker Spotlight

Tell us about the Radiotherapy Research PPIE Group and what you do 

The group brings together people with lived experience of cancer, most of whom have undergone radiotherapy themselves. Collectively, their role is to help make research more grounded in real patient experience. As they explain, “we’re the only ones who truly know what treatment feels like, and that perspective can change how research is designed, communicated and delivered.” 

Their work spans reviewing research proposals, shaping trial designs, advising on patient-facing materials, contributing to public events, and supporting scientists in communicating complex ideas in accessible ways. A key part of their mission is also to demystify radiotherapy. One of their most impactful projects has been the creation of a large Radiotherapy Timeline displayed at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, an eye-catching 5.8m x 2.5m installation that charts the evolution of radiotherapy and uses videos, podcasts and QR codes to help people understand how modern, precise and effective the treatment has become. 

How does lived experience influence research? 

Members describe many situations where their insight has improved the design and acceptability of research studies. One example involved a proposed clinical trial in which patients were due to receive a mammogram immediately after completing radiotherapy. Anyone who has been through treatment knows how sore that area can be; after the group explained this, the study design was changed. 

Researchers may ask the group to help refine the language in patient information sheets, rethink the order of procedures, or anticipate practical challenges that may not be obvious from a clinical or laboratory perspective. These small but meaningful adjustments can significantly improve a patient’s experience of joining a study. 

One of our contributors took part in a “Bring your patient contributor to work day”, shadowing scientists in the lab and seeing how early-stage research unfolds. Watching experiments, exploring data with researchers and asking questions has helped build a deeper understanding of the science, and researchers say the conversations have, in turn, helped them understand how to communicate their work more effectively. 

You run a “Dragon’s Den” style event for research. What happens in those sessions? 

This innovative format invites researchers, from early-career scientists to experienced academics, to pitch their ideas to the PPIE panel at a very early stage. Collectively our comments help develop a ‘line of sight’ for the research to clinical application and patient benefit. 

Researchers frequently describe the sessions as supportive, energising and “positively challenging”. Many have incorporated the feedback directly into grant applications, plain-English summaries and laboratory plans. The sessions are becoming an important part of the research pipeline in Cambridge, influencing both clinical and pre-clinical radiotherapy studies. 

For the PPIE contributors, the experience is equally motivating. Hearing about the breadth of radiotherapy research underway, and knowing that their insights help shape it, creates a sense of partnership and progress.