Women with breast cancer could be spared 10 hospital visits during radiotherapy through government-backed research, as well as benefit from action to diagnose cancer earlier and strengthen patient support.
More than 1,000 people have joined a government-funded trial, testing whether breast cancer radiotherapy can be safely cut from 3 weeks to just 5 days.
The FAST-Forward Boost trial is running at 39 hospitals across the UK and will test a shorter course of radiotherapy with an additional targeted dose, known as a boost, to help prevent breast cancer returning.
The milestone comes as Ashley Dalton MP, who is living with metastatic breast cancer, is appointed as an adviser on delivery of the National Cancer Plan for England to help ensure patients’ experiences shape decisions on cancer care. Ms Dalton stepped down from her role as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention on 2 March 2026 to manage her health and treatment side effects.
As Breast Cancer Awareness Month draws to a close, figures show more women are taking up their first breast screening invitation than at any point in the past decade, with uptake reaching 63.6%. However, around 4 in 10 women invited for the first time do not attend.
Health and Social Care Secretary Yvette Cooper is urging women who receive an invitation to take up the potentially life-saving offer.
This trial shows how the UK is using our world-beating research capabilities to pursue huge improvements and transformations in cancer treatment for patients in our NHS.
This programme is aiming to radically shorten the treatment times for breast cancer – to support patients and save more lives. The UK is home to some of the best medical research and clinical expertise in the world, and this trial is the latest example of what we can achieve when we bring them together.
That’s why Ashley Dalton’s appointment as adviser on the National Cancer Plan is so important. Her personal experience of cancer, alongside her previous experience at the Department of Health and Social Care, will help ensure the plan reflects the realities of people living with cancer.
It’s a real honour to be appointed the government’s Cancer Adviser. Publishing the National Cancer Plan was a huge professional and personal achievement of mine and I have been determined to ensure that the commitments in it are driven forward.
Now I can do this in a more formal way, working directly with the responsible minister, James Frith.
My time as health minister taught me so much, and so has living with metastatic breast cancer. I want to use my experiences in the best way I can, to support the commitment in the National Cancer Plan that by 2035, 3 out of 4 people diagnosed with cancer will be cancer free or living well with cancer after 5 years.
Professor Lucy Chappell, National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) CEO and Department of Health and Social Care Chief Scientific Adviser, said:
Playing a major role in tackling some of the biggest killers, including breast cancer, is at the very heart of what we do. For 20 years, NIHR has invested in studies like the FAST-Forward Boost trial – funding high-quality research that transforms patient care in the NHS.
We know the impact breast cancer treatment can have on patients and their families, and how the side effects of radiotherapy can affect people’s quality of life, even long after treatment has ended. Studies like this are crucial, as they aim to not only identify new treatment options which can be delivered swiftly and safely – but also minimise side effects, giving patients more time away from hospitals and with the people that they love.
If successful, the approach could reduce travel costs and time away from work and family, while freeing up NHS capacity to treat more people.
The government, in partnership with NIHR and NHS England, is also delivering trials of AI to support the analysis of mammograms and working with Breast Cancer Now over the next 3 years to help women recognise signs of cancer and access trusted information and support after treatment.
The National Cancer Plan sets out action to find cancer earlier, improve treatment and ensure people living with cancer receive the best possible care and support.
Professor Anna Kirby, Chief Investigator of the FAST-Forward Boost trial, consultant medical oncologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and professor in radiotherapy for breast cancer at the Institute of Cancer Research, London, said:
Reaching 1,000 participants is a fantastic milestone. It reflects the commitment of patients and clinical teams across the UK to answering an important question about how we can improve breast radiotherapy for patients.
It is particularly heartening to see so many women, at a challenging time in their own lives, choosing to take part in research that could help improve treatment for women with breast cancer in the future. We are incredibly grateful to every one of them.
In England, around 30% of female breast cancers are diagnosed via screening, most at an early stage making it a vital part of early detection.
Maximising early diagnosis is essential as the earlier breast cancer is found the more likely treatment is to be successful. When diagnosed at stage 1 almost 100% of people survive for 5 years or more, compared with just 32% at stage 4.
As the first partner of the Renewed Women’s Health Strategy, we’re pleased to see the government today committing to step up action against breast cancer and we look forward to seeing the results of this new radiotherapy trial.
The FAST-Forward Boost trial aims to recruit 4,830 people by 2028. Participants will be followed up for 5 years, with results expected in 2033.
The partnership with Breast Cancer Now was announced earlier this month and supports the Renewed Women’s Health Strategy for England.
Ashley Dalton, the Labour MP for West Lancashire, is living with incurable metastatic breast cancer. She was originally diagnosed with primary breast cancer in 2013. She revealed a secondary (metastatic) breast cancer diagnosis in January 2025. She will advise on improving cancer care through the National Cancer Plan for England.
– assessing whether the plan is delivering improvements in quality of life and patient experience for people affected by cancer
Sources and further reading
UK Health Department — original report · Original publication: 2026-10-30
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