Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32010633›Full record

ReviewFrontiers in oncology2019

Ultra-High Dose Rate (FLASH) Radiotherapy: Silver Bullet or Fool's Gold?

Joseph D Wilson, Ester M Hammond, Geoff S Higgins, Kristoffer Petersson

Erratum issuedOpen access · goldAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Frontiers in oncology, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 196 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
196citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
39.5field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

196 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 446 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. The current status of FLASH particle therapy: a systematic review.Physical and engineering sciences in medicine · 2023
    Pooled it
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Reduced corneal toxicity following whole brain irradiation in mice.Clinical and translational radiation oncology · 2026
    Article
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. Review
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Review
  14. Deciphering Ultra-High Dose Rate Irradiation withAntioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
    Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article

136 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Joseph D WilsonDepartment of Oncology, The Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Ester M HammondDepartment of Oncology, The Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Geoff S HigginsDepartment of Oncology, The Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Kristoffer PeterssonDepartment of Oncology, The Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
University of Oxford · GBCRUK/MRC Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology · GBSkåne University Hospital · SE

Funding

Cancer Research UK 19276Cancer Research UK 19590Cancer Research UK 28736Medical Research Council MC_UU_00001/9
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Radiotherapy is a cornerstone of both curative and palliative cancer care. However, radiotherapy is severely limited by radiation-induced toxicities. If these toxicities could be reduced, a greater dose of radiation could be given therefore facilitating a better tumor response. Initial pre-clinical studies have shown that irradiation at dose rates far exceeding those currently used in clinical contexts reduce radiation-induced toxicities whilst maintaining an equivalent tumor response. This is known as the FLASH effect. To date, a single patient has been subjected to FLASH radiotherapy for the treatment of subcutaneous T-cell lymphoma resulting in complete response and minimal toxicities. The mechanism responsible for reduced tissue toxicity following FLASH radiotherapy is yet to be elucidated, but the most prominent hypothesis so far proposed is that acute oxygen depletion occurs within the irradiated tissue. This review examines the tissue response to FLASH radiotherapy, critically evaluates the evidence supporting hypotheses surrounding the biological basis of the FLASH effect, and considers the potential for FLASH radiotherapy to be translated into clinical contexts.

Indexed as

FLASHhypoxiaimmunenormal tissueradiotherapy

Identifiers

PMID32010633
PMCPMC6979639
OpenAlexW2998202461

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.