STICHTING MAASTRICHT RADIATION ONCOLOGY MAASTRO CLINIC

Their core work

MAASTRO is a specialized radiation oncology clinic and research center based in Maastricht, the Netherlands, focused on advancing cancer treatment through radiation therapy. Their work spans clinical decision support systems for cancer treatment planning, pioneering cardiac radioablation for heart arrhythmias, and evaluating proton therapy as a next-generation treatment for esophageal cancer. They bridge clinical practice with data-driven research, developing predictive models that help oncologists choose optimal treatment strategies for individual patients.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

MAASTRO's early H2020 work (2016–2019) centered on data-driven decision support for head and neck cancer, using predictive models and big data to personalize treatment choices. Their more recent projects (2021 onward) mark two significant shifts: first, applying radiation therapy techniques beyond traditional oncology into cardiac treatment (STOPSTORM), and second, evaluating next-generation proton therapy against conventional photon approaches (PROTECT-trial). The trajectory shows a clinic moving from software-side decision support toward validating advanced radiation modalities in clinical trials.

MAASTRO is expanding radiation oncology expertise into non-cancer applications (cardiac arrhythmia treatment) and next-generation beam technologies (proton therapy), positioning them at the frontier of therapeutic radiation research.

How they like to work

MAASTRO participates exclusively as a partner rather than leading consortia, consistent with their role as a specialized clinical and research center contributing domain expertise to larger collaborative efforts. With 55 unique partners across 13 countries from just 3 projects, they operate within large, multi-national consortia — typical of clinical validation studies that require patient cohorts across multiple sites. This suggests they are a reliable clinical partner valued for their patient access and radiation oncology know-how.

Despite only three projects, MAASTRO has collaborated with 55 unique partners across 13 countries, reflecting participation in large pan-European clinical trial consortia. Their network spans broadly across Western and Southern Europe, typical of multi-center clinical validation studies.

What sets them apart

MAASTRO occupies a rare niche as a dedicated radiation oncology research clinic — not a university hospital or general cancer center, but a facility entirely focused on radiotherapy innovation. Their STOPSTORM participation demonstrates a willingness to apply radiation expertise to non-oncological conditions (cardiac arrhythmias), which few radiation centers pursue. For consortium builders, MAASTRO offers both clinical trial infrastructure and deep specialist knowledge in therapeutic radiation, making them an ideal partner for projects requiring real-world patient data in radiotherapy contexts.

Highlights from their portfolio

• STOPSTORM
  Applies radiation oncology techniques (stereotactic ablative radiotherapy) to treat heart arrhythmias — a bold cross-disciplinary move from cancer to cardiology.
• BD2Decide
  Largest funded project (EUR 373,062) combining big data with clinical decision support for personalized head and neck cancer treatment.
• PROTECT-trial
  Head-to-head clinical comparison of proton vs photon therapy for esophageal cancer — directly relevant to the future of radiotherapy technology adoption.