Global Radiotherapy: Current Status and Future Directions—White Paper

Abstract

Recognizing the increase in cancer incidence globally and the need for effective cancer control interventions, several organizations, professional bodies, and international institutions have proposed strategies to improve treatment options and reduce mortality along with minimizing overall incidence. Despite these efforts, an estimated 9.6 million deaths in 2018 was attributed to this noncommunicable disease, making it the second leading cause of death worldwide. Left unchecked, this will further increase in scale, with an estimated 29.5 million new cases and 16.3 million deaths occurring worldwide in 2040. Although it is known and generally accepted that cancer services must include radiotherapy, such access is still very limited in many parts of the world, especially in low- and middle-income countries. After thorough review of the current status of radiotherapy including programs worldwide, as well as achievements and challenges at the global level, the International Atomic Energy Agency convened an international group of experts representing various radiation oncology societies to take a closer look into the current status of radiotherapy and provide a road map for future directions in this field. It was concluded that the plethora of global and regional initiatives would benefit further from the existence of a central framework, including an easily accessible repository through which better coordination can be done. Supporting this framework, a practical inventory of competencies needs to be made available on a global level emphasizing the knowledge, skills, and behavior required for a safe, sustainable, and professional practice for various settings. This white paper presents the current status of global radiotherapy and future directions for the community. It forms the basis for an action plan to be developed with professional societies worldwide.

Evolving practice in global healthcare: Remote physics support for low‐ and middle‐income countries

“…The center, at the time of writing, has completed its participation in the SRS/SBRT course that was offered by this imitative, which started in November of 2021. By connecting the staff to a venue that provides continuing education, the loop, as mentioned in the white paper, 6 has been closed.…”

“…Advancements in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) have been implemented largely through the help of professionals from developed countries and In this way, many collaborative partnership agreements have been signed to facilitate the flow of expertise between institutions in advanced countries and their counterparts in LMICs, as captured by Khader et al 5 In the white paper published by Abdel-Wahab et al, 6 the authors recognized that in LMICs where the number of machines is adequate, there still lies the challenge of implementing the technology and training professionals. They identified the use of modern telecommunications, including virtual collaboration, as an asset that can bridge the technology transfer gap.…”

Gynecological radiation oncology in sub-Saharan Africa: status, problems and considerations for the future

“…Cancer management in poorly organized donor driven health systems poses a challenge because acquisition of relevant equipment and building of radiotherapy centers can be discordant with the training and availability of staff. This is due to specific objectives of funders that create silos of service (prevention vs diagnosis vs treatment) without bridges along the continuum of care 12 13. Consistent access to engineering support for the maintenance of machines and their timely replacement requires appropriate service contracts and procurement regulations, respectively 14.…”

Back to the Future: Very High-Energy Electrons (VHEEs) and Their Potential Application in Radiation Therapy

“…Cancer is one of the leading causes of disease/death worldwide, with around 14 million new cases and 8 million deaths each year. It is forecast that the incidence of newly diagnosed cancer cases worldwide will significantly increase from today’s 18.1 million to 29.5 million by 2040 [ 1 ]. Radiotherapy has the potential to benefit approximately 50% of cancer patients during the course of their disease.…”