Transcriptional Responses as an Indicator of Individualised Responses to Radiation Effects (RTGene 2)

Peripheral blood samples will be taken with informed consent from radiotherapy patients before and during treatment fractions for sarcoma, breast, lung, gut, genitourinary and head \& neck tumours at The Royal Marsden. Candidate genes identified by PHE, Columbia and/or in the literature as being specific to radiation responses will be assessed, together with genes relevant to systemic inflammatory and immune responses, to identify transcriptional responses for a range of doses and exposures on an inter-individual basis. Data will be analysed using existing and new statistical tools focused on count data modelling. The intended outcome is identification of a radiation specific panel of genes to inform individual radiation responses and if the results are favourable, a large scale follow up to this project is expected.