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More than 1,000 people have now joined a UK trial testing whether breast cancer radiotherapy can be shortened from three weeks to just five days, the government announced on 30 October 2026.

The FAST-Forward Boost trial is running at 39 hospitals across the UK. It is testing a shorter course of treatment that includes an extra targeted dose, known as a boost, designed to help stop cancer returning after surgery.

If the shorter course proves as safe and effective as the longer course, patients could avoid 10 hospital visits, cutting travel, time away from work and time away from family, while freeing NHS capacity for other patients. Health and Social Care Secretary Yvette Cooper said the programme aims to “radically shorten” treatment times.

What the trial is testing

The trial is led by The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and funded through the National Institute for Health and Care Research. It aims to recruit 4,830 people by 2028, with participants followed up for five years and results expected in 2033.

Participants have already had surgery to remove their cancer. They are allocated to one of three groups: standard treatment over 15 days, or one of two five-day courses with a slightly different boost dose. Researchers will compare how well each course prevents cancer returning, as well as side effects and quality of life.

Screening plea as awareness month ends

Alongside the trial milestone, the government has appointed Ashley Dalton MP, who is living with metastatic breast cancer, as an adviser on delivery of the National Cancer Plan, so patients’ experiences help shape decisions.

Health and Social Care Secretary Yvette Cooper also urged women to take up screening invitations. First-invitation uptake reached 63.6%, the highest in a decade, but around four in 10 women invited for the first time do not attend. The government says earlier diagnosis gives treatment a better chance of success.

Sources: GOV.UK; The Institute of Cancer Research.