World Radiotherapy Awareness Day Highlights Growing Global Demand and Workforce Shortages
核心洞察
World Radiotherapy (搜索) Awareness Day (WRAD), celebrated September 7, promotes the theme "One Voice for Radiotherapy" to ensure every patient has access to safe, effective radiotherapy.
Over half of people with cancer require radiotherapy (搜索), yet an estimated one in five eligible Australian patients does not receive it in line with best practice care.
Global radiotherapy (搜索) demand is projected to rise from 10 million patients in 2022 to 21 million by 2050, requiring substantial workforce expansion.
World Radiotherapy (搜索) Awareness Day (WRAD), celebrated internationally on September 7 to commemorate the first patient treated with radiotherapy, is drawing renewed attention to the vital role of radiation therapy in cancer care and the urgent need for expanded access and workforce capacity worldwide.
The theme for World Radiotherapy (搜索) Awareness Day 2025-2027 is "One Voice for Radiotherapy," a call for the global community to unite and speak with one voice to ensure that every patient, everywhere, has access to safe, effective and life-saving radiotherapy.
Radiotherapy's Central Role in Cancer Care
Over half of people with cancer require radiotherapy (搜索) as part of their treatment, and WRAD aims to highlight the global need for radiotherapy and increase understanding of the challenges that prevent many patients from receiving this critical treatment. The campaign also seeks to educate healthcare professionals, policymakers, patients, caregivers and the public about the central role radiotherapy plays in comprehensive cancer care.
Prof Aisling Barry, chair of radiation oncology, cancer research at UCC and chair of the ISRO advocacy group, said: "Radiotherapy (搜索) is one of the most effective and evidence-based treatments available for cancer patients. Today we recognise, not only the impact of radiotherapy on patient outcomes in Ireland and worldwide, but also the expertise, dedication and compassion of the multidisciplinary teams who support our patient."
Rising Global Demand and Workforce Shortages
Across the globe, the number of cancer diagnoses is increasing, leading to growing demand for radiotherapy (搜索). An estimated 10 million new patients required radiotherapy in 2022, with this figure projected to rise to 21 million by 2050.
The radiotherapy (搜索) workforce will need to grow significantly to support this projected need, with estimates indicating the need for an additional 84,000 radiation oncologists, 47,000 medical physicists, and 141,000 radiation therapists.
Gaps in Access to Best-Practice Care
WRAD was born from the growing recognition that radiotherapy (搜索) is one of the most effective yet underutilised cancer treatments worldwide. In Australia, it is estimated that one in five cancer patients who should receive radiotherapy in line with best practice care does not receive it. An estimated 62% of eligible prostate cancer (搜索) patients and 48% of eligible lung cancer (搜索) patients do not receive radiotherapy.
Led by WRAD Committee Chairs Prof Sandra Turner and Dr Katie Wakeham, a global coalition of radiation and clinical oncology professionals, patients and campaigners has united to support this historic initiative. Among them is Dr Lucinda Morris, a radiation oncologist passionate about improving global cancer outcomes, a founding co-chair of the Targeting Cancer campaign and a member of the global WRAD Committee.
The Need for Continued Investment
Clara Cremin, clinical specialist radiation therapist at CUH/UCC Cancer Centre (搜索), said: "World Radiotherapy (搜索) Awareness Day provides an important opportunity to raise awareness about the vital role radiotherapy plays in cancer treatment and to recognise the dedicated professionals who deliver these services every day. At CUH/UCC Cancer Centre, we are proud to support the global message of 'One Voice for Radiotherapy' and advocate for equitable access to high-quality radiotherapy services for all patients who need it."
She noted that access to radiotherapy (搜索) relies on a highly skilled multidisciplinary workforce, including radiation oncologists, medical physicists, radiation therapists, dosimetrists, nurses, and many other healthcare professionals and clinical trials colleagues, but it also depends on ongoing investment in equipment.
WRAD underscores the importance of maintaining a well-educated, adequately resourced workforce, while continuing to invest in and expand radiotherapy (搜索) capacity, including increasing the number of linear accelerators to meet the growing demand for cancer services and ensure timely access to treatment for patients.
Prof Aisling Barry added: "Working together with one voice, we can continue to raise awareness and support improved access to radiotherapy (搜索) services worldwide."