Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency –
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Sustainability and Innovation in Cancer Care
Located in four regions around the world, the Rays of Hope Initiative support centres support IAEA technical cooperation activities by training personnel in oncology and medical physics, and by promoting research to ensure the most efficient use of limited resources.
To strengthen clinical practice and support the implementation of programs under the Rays of Hope initiative, a number of new coordinated research projects (CRPs) in cancer treatment will be implemented in collaboration with reference centers. A key step in the radiation therapy planning process was the recently launched CRP on prostate cancer delineation using computed tomography (CT) and AI-based verification, in which all 18 reference centers were invited to participate.
The reference centres also provide data to the Sustainable Unified Network for Innovation and Scientific Efficiency in Radiation Medicine (SUNRISE), a global database designed to collect reliable and timely data from cancer centres to measure and demonstrate the impact of improvements in radiation medicine practice, with a focus on sustainability and cost-effectiveness.
More than 500 specialists took part in the in-person workshops organized at these centers, and another 200 specialists participated remotely.
Oncologists in Asia have learned about cutting-edge treatments, including ultra-hypofractionated radiation therapy, which reduces treatment time and costs, and theranostics, a combined method of diagnosing and treating tumors using radiopharmaceuticals.
In Europe, Central Asia and Latin America, radiation medicine experts shared information on best practices in pediatric oncology to improve cancer care for children.
To ensure long-term sustainability, the IAEA continues to provide targeted training at the support centres, providing the network with the necessary knowledge and assistance for transfer to neighbouring countries.
"Soon after joining the Rays of Hope initiative as a reference center, we participated in an IAEA workshop to develop a standardized curriculum for gynecologic oncology and received virtual reality tools from the Agency for practicing brachytherapy procedures. Thanks to this support, we were able to adopt a more structured and standardized approach to training, which we now teach to specialists from across the region at our reference center," notes Dr. Umesh Mahantshetti, a radiation oncologist at the Tata Centre.
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