Sustainability and innovation in the field of cancer treatment
The hub centers established in four regions under the Rays of Hope Initiative support the implementation of the Agency’s technical cooperation activities by providing training in oncology and medical physics, and promote research to ensure optimal use of the limited resources available.
Several new coordinated research projects centered around cancer treatment will be implemented in cooperation with the focal centers to enhance clinical practices and support program implementation within the framework of the Rays of Hope initiative. A coordinated research project on CT-based prostate cancer tumor demarcation technology, which uses artificial intelligence to verify the accuracy of procedures, was recently launched. This represents a crucial step in the radiotherapy planning process, and all 18 focal centers have been invited to participate.
The hubs also submit data sets to the Sustainable United Network for Innovation and Excellence in Radiology (SUNRISE), a global database designed to collect accurate and time-sensitive data from cancer centers to measure and demonstrate the impact of improvements in radiology, with an emphasis on sustainability and cost-effectiveness.
Workshops were organized in these centers in which more than 500 professionals participated in person and another 200 professionals participated online.
Oncologists in Asia were exposed to advanced treatment techniques, such as high-dose, minifractionated radiotherapy, which reduces treatment time and costs, and a therapeutic diagnostic approach that combines tumor diagnosis and treatment with radiopharmaceuticals.
In Europe, Central Asia and Latin America, radiology professionals share best practices in pediatric oncology to improve care for children with cancer.
To support long-term sustainability, the Agency continues to provide targeted training courses to hub centres, and equips them to provide expertise and support to neighboring countries.
“Shortly after joining Rays of Hope as a hub, we participated in an IAEA workshop on developing standardized training programs around gynecological cancers and received VR-based tools from the agency to practice internal irradiation procedures,” said Dr. Umesh Mahanchety, a radiation oncologist from Tata Memorial Centre. “This support enabled us to adopt a more structured and coordinated approach that we apply today to training professionals across our region through our hub.”
