Irish Cancer Society Award for the OPEN Trial
St Luke’s Radiation Oncology Network (SLRON) is proud to have received the Irish Cancer Society Clinical or Translational Project of the Year Award for the OPEN Trial, Optimising Patient Experience in Head and Neck Radiotherapy. This award recognises outstanding research that demonstrates excellence and meaningful impact for people affected by cancer.
https://www.cancer.ie/ResearchAwards2025
Addressing Mask Anxiety in Radiotherapy
Patients receiving radiotherapy for head and neck cancer must wear a rigid thermoplastic mask for each of their 30 to 35 treatments. The mask is moulded tightly to the face and secured to the treatment couch to ensure millimetre level accuracy.
However, approximately one in four patients report significant anxiety related to wearing the closed mask. For some, particularly those with claustrophobia, this distress can be severe and can prevent them from receiving treatment.
As one patient described:
“Having the mask on didn’t worry me until they clamped my head down so I wouldn’t move.”
The OPEN Trial
Completed in 2025, the OPEN Trial was the largest Phase III randomised study to examine open faced radiotherapy masks in head and neck cancer. The study enrolled 230 patients and compared standard closed masks with two open mask designs, including a fully open 3-point mask pictured here.
The trial evaluated patient reported anxiety alongside technical measures such as setup accuracy.
The results showed that open masks maintained equivalent treatment accuracy, with median setup errors under one millimetre and no negative impact on workflow. At the same time, patients using open masks reported significantly lower levels of psychological distress and improved treatment tolerability.
One participant reflected:
“I got the one with the open face. It was brilliant. It was very easy.”
International Recognition
The findings were presented at the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology in 2025 and have been described as practice changing. The findings went on to be included in the prestigious “Best of ESTRO” webinar programme. The study was also awarded as a runner up for the HSE Bright Spark award and also received an award recognising excellence in patient care by Vision RT.
Patients at the Centre of the Research
Patient partnership was integral to the study. A person with lived experience contributed to the trial design and ensured that safety remained paramount. This led to the inclusion of a planned interim safety analysis to confirm immobilisation precision.
Impact
The OPEN Trial demonstrates that patient comfort can be improved without compromising treatment precision. By reducing treatment related anxiety, open masks offer a more tolerable and patient centred approach to head and neck radiotherapy.
A Collaborative Effort
The study was led by Professor Sinead Brennan and was delivered by a multidisciplinary team that included St Luke’s Institute of Cancer Research Fellows Dr Jill Nicholson, Ciaran Malone (Physics) and Samantha Ryan (Radiation Therapy), together with the SLRON Clinical Trials Unit.
The trial was made possible through the commitment and engagement of the entire radiation therapy team whose daily support was essential to successful implementation. Above all, we thank the patients at SLRON who participated in the study. Their willingness to contribute to research during treatment has generated evidence that will improve care for future patients.