Ummi Musa Umar, Radiation Therapist, Public Health Specialist, and Cancer Advocate shares her WRAD experience. When I first joined the global discussions that led to the birth of World Radiotherapy Awareness Day (WRAD), I never imagined how far the movement would come in such a short time. From brainstorming sessions with the Global Coalition for Radiotherapy to the spotlight events during London Global Cancer Week, it was a collaborative journey shaped by passion, purpose, and the need to give radiotherapy its own voice on the global stage. I still remember the excitement of helping to define the date, the slogan, and the vision for WRAD - a day dedicated not just to celebrating technology, but to honouring the people behind the beams: radiation therapists, medical physicists, and clinical oncologists who work quietly but tirelessly to give patients a fighting chance. I was also honoured to feature in the early publicity video that helped launch the campaign to the world. Fast forward to November 2025, at the AORTIC Conference in Hammamet, Tunisia, where I met two incredible volunteers from the WRAD team – Professor Sandra Turner and Dr Katie Wakeham. We instantly connected at the WRAD exhibition stand, bonded by shared enthusiasm for advancing awareness, access, and equity in cancer care. As we talked, I shared how, in Nigeria, our community of radiotherapists are proudly supporting the WRAD celebration on 7th of September, using social media collaboration to raise awareness about the life-saving role of radiotherapy. Our conversation naturally turned to World Radiography Day, which was just a few days away. Inspired by our shared energy, Professor Sandra and I recorded a short video - one that not only celebrated radiographers but also emphasized why radiotherapy deserves its own dedicated day. We spoke about the need for stronger visibility of radiotherapy as a core component of cancer treatment, the importance of multidisciplinary inclusion, and the recognition of radiation therapists as major stakeholders in oncology decision-making. In many low- and middle-income countries like Nigeria, access to radiotherapy remains a significant challenge. Yet, every patient story and every therapist’s effort matter. A dedicated global day like WRAD doesn’t just raise awareness - it also humanizes the field, reminding the world that behind every beam is a team of skilled professionals, empathy, and precision working together to save lives. As both a radiation therapist and a public health advocate, I see WRAD as more than a calendar event - it’s a movement. It’s an opportunity to bridge gaps in awareness, promote investment in radiotherapy infrastructure, and inspire young professionals to see this field as a calling, not just a career. My experience at AORTIC reaffirmed the global solidarity behind this movement - from conversations in Hammamet to collaborations across continents, the radiotherapy community is rising with one voice: to make radiotherapy visible, accessible, and equitable for all. Here’s to many more WRADs to come - shining light on the unsung heroes of cancer care and reminding the world that #RadiotherapySavesLives #OneVoiceforRadiotherapy #WorldRTDay _____________________________________________________________________ Contributed by By Ummi Musa Umar, Radiation Therapist, Public Health Specialist, and Cancer Advocate, Nigeria

Windhoek Central Hospital  On 29 August 2025, the healthcare team at Windhoek Central Hospital in Namibia hosted health sciences students (particularly in biology and physics) from the National University of Science and Technology to give them a tour of the department and demystify the subject of radiotherapy to them. Following this event, on the 4th of September 2025, they partnered with International University Management (IUM) in Namibia to facilitate a lecture for nursing staff and students at the institution. The aim was to introduce them to the subject of radiotherapy, answer questions and promote WRAD_Namibia 2025. Finally, they had their ultimate program, the “Big Walk” (a branded walk for Radiotherapy Awareness), on the 6th of September 2025. Attendance was over 100, with support from local schools, cancer survivors and former radiotherapy patients, corporates, the Ministry of Health and Social Services of Namibia, Cancer Association of Namibia, the City Council and the general public. Feedback from the walk shows that attendees learned a lot about radiotherapy and they were glad to have attended the program. Share your event with us us on our website:

We’re pleased to share a publication from the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics, “Radiotherapy Deserves the Spotlight: The First World Radiotherapy Awareness Day.” Authors Pat Price, Sandra Turner, Katie Wakeham, and Mary Gospodarowicz, highlight the urgent need for global access to radiotherapy, emphasize the critical role of advocacy and raising awareness, and address the significant challenges faced by the radiotherapy community. “World Radiotherapy Awareness Day is now every September 7th, and the global health community is presented with a unique opportunity to act together with ‘One Voice for Radiotherapy’ to reaffirm its commitment to equitable cancer care by bringing radiotherapy to the forefront.” We would like to thank the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) and Scientific Publications team for prioritizing this important day and publication for the inaugural year. Read the full article here:

Mbingo Baptist Hospital Mbingo Baptist Hospital, Cameroon commemorated the first ever World Radiotherapy Awareness Day with a WRAD Lecture delivered by Dr. Ntumsi to address the crisis of radiotherapy access. In a powerful moment the crowd chanted “One Voice” as they literally raised their voices for radiotherapy. Watch the video here: Interested in sharing an activity or event like this? Share it with us on our website:

This year marked the first ever World Radiotherapy Awareness Day (WRAD). In just a short amount of time we have achieved an incredible milestone in bringing people together from around the world to highlight the essential role of radiotherapy in treating cancer. The success of WRAD was the result of the collective efforts of our supporters, partners, and sponsors. We are pleased to share some stats to highlight the impact we all made in this foundation year. Global Reach 109 different countries visited the World Radiotherapy Awareness Day website to access resources and learn about radiotherapy. Social Media Engagement WRAD social media accounts shared more than 100 posts since our launch in June, reaching 329,674 impressions. Website Activity 8,821 visits and 2,573 unique visitors, with 12% return visits, higher than most NGOs worldwide. External Media Coverage WRAD was featured in 80 external media sources, including articles, newsletters, podcasts, and videos across multiple regions. Community Events 48 global WRAD events were registered on the website and held during the 90-day period before and after September 7th. Read the Full Report These results show the enthusiasm, creativity, and dedication behind WRAD. To celebrate these achievements, we’ve created a short highlight video which captures the energy of this global movement: We’re inspired by the collective enthusiasm for WRAD. Together, let’s build on this success. We’re looking forward to even more impact in 2026 and beyond! Thank you again for being part of the inaugural World Radiotherapy Awareness Day. Please use these stats to celebrate our success by sharing on social media, with your teams, societies and companies. Together, we’re making a difference. One Voice for Radiotherapy!

The 67th Annual American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Meeting It was fantastic to be at the ASTRO Annual Meeting in San Francisco representing World Radiotherapy Awareness Day (WRAD). It was a truly inspiring few days connecting with radiation oncology colleagues from around the world and immersing in an outstanding scientific program.  The WRAD Committee and I are so grateful to ASTRO and its leadership, especially Jeff White, Dr Sameer Keole and Dr Neha Vapiwali, the new President for their ongoing support of WRAD and for championing global radiation oncology collaboration to raise awareness and improve access to radiotherapy.  A huge thank you also to our WRAD sponsors, including Varian and Accuray, whose partnership has been critical to our success in sharing the WRAD message with such a wide audience. And extra love to my Aussie #WomenWhoCure friends for proudly debuting the bright blue WRAD T-shirts- you lit up the meeting! 💙  The energy, innovation, and sense of #radonc community at ASTRO this year were a powerful reminder of why our specialty and our advocacy thru WRAD, matter more than ever. _____________________________________________________________________ Contributed by Associate Professor Lucinda Morris, Radiation Oncologist and WRAD Committee member

The Radiation Oncology Staff at St George Cancer Care Centre in Australia celebrated World Radiotherapy Awareness Day with special WRAD Activities during the week of 7 Sept. They contributed this article to share more about their event: St George Cancer Care Centre The World Radiotherapy Awareness Day (WRAD) Event was celebrated with a vibrant orange morning tea for our St George Hospital Cancer Centre team, recognising the vital role of radiotherapy in cancer care. The centre was decorated in orange, featuring themed posters, balloons, cakes, cupcakes, mandarins, a cake topper, cupcake toppers, cutlery, a custom orange Radiation Therapist shirt, and creative displays. The event highlighted the history and impact of radiotherapy, with staff engaging with patients and encouraging everyone to wear orange to mark the significance of WRAD. We reached out to local businesses who generously donated a professional orange cake, cupcakes, a cake topper, and a custom backdrop. We also secured coffee and lunch discounts for all staff to enjoy on the day. Additionally, all of our Radiation Oncologists kindly provided a variety of delicious food for everyone to enjoy.  We organised for our hospital media manager to capture group photos of the team and the morning tea setup, which was shared on the hospital’s social media pages. We also organised for our Wellbeing Manager and the hospital executive team to send a heartfelt message to all Radiation Oncology departments, acknowledging their hard work and dedication. To ensure the event ran smoothly, we designed a poster invitation outlining the program and key details of the day. We also created a WRAD Badge for staff to wear for the whole week.  The celebration brought together Radiation Therapists, Radiation Oncologists, Medical Physicists, and administrative staff to reflect on the importance of radiotherapy, celebrate the dedication of the radiation therapy team, and acknowledge advancements in cancer treatment. It was a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness and foster a strong sense of community bonding within the Cancer Centre. All staff were cheerful and proud to have contributed to making the day a fun and memorable celebration. Marking the first World Radiotherapy Awareness Day We wanted to celebrate the incredible work of our radiation therapy team and make them feel valued by organising a special morning tea for everyone to enjoy and share the moment together. We also aimed to raise awareness of how essential radiotherapy is in cancer treatment. It was a wonderful opportunity to recognise our colleagues’ dedication, connect with patients, and highlight the positive impact of radiotherapy in improving lives. _____________________________________________________________________ Contributed by Dr. Gina Hesselberg , Radiation Oncologist  and Marlin Karzon, Radiation Therapist

We’re pleased to share that WRAD has been featured in an article with Diagnostic Imaging Europe (DI Europe), “World Radiotherapy Awareness Day 2025: A Global Call to Action”. The article quotes WRAD Co-Chair Katie Wakeham: “One effective way to address disparities in access to radiotherapy is to establish a World Radiotherapy Awareness Day (WRAD). This initiative  creates a platform for the global radiotherapy community to unite and attract the attention of the public, media, and governments.” -Katie Wakeham Read the full article here: If you have featured WRAD in your own publication or newsletter, please let us know .

WRAD Co-Chair and Radiation Oncologist, Professor Sandra Turner, sat down for an interview with OncoDaily to discuss World Radiotherapy Awareness Day.  Prof Turner shares the importance of improving access to patients who need radiotherapy, and the need for amplifying efforts worldwide. “What we hope, through World Radiotherapy Awareness Day, and through using One Voice for Radiotherapy is that we can all come together. We can learn from each other. We can share our resources. We can share our experiences. We can come together particularly around September the 7th, so that we can amplify all of the work and all of the voices, to be better heard.” - Sandra Turner Watch the full interview: OncoDaily also shared a wrap up article about World Radiotherapy Awareness Day.  You can read more here:

On the 5th of September, the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse , a cancer treatment centre in Sydney Australia, celebrated World Radiotherapy Awareness Day. “Chris O’Brien Lifehouse Beam Team: Lighting up World Radiotherapy Awareness Day” They shared: “Our amazing radiation therapists, physicists and clinical crew gathered at our Edge Linac to celebrate World Radiotherapy Day and highlight the vital role of radiation therapy in cancer treatment.” View more WRAD Events here:

We're excited to announce that WRAD has been spotlighted by GenesisCare in their article, “Introducing World Radiotherapy Awareness Day (WRAD).” The article features an interview with WRAD Committee member, Associate Professor Lucinda Morris, Radiation Oncologist.  She shares the inspiring origins of WRAD and envisions its bright future.  While discussing the importance of WRAD she said: “The day highlights the critical challenges our sector faces, including limited access in low- and middle-income countries, workforce shortages, and persistent myths and misconceptions about radiotherapy. It’s about sparking conversations and driving change so more people living with cancer can receive the treatment they deserve.”- Lucinda Morris Thank you to GenesisCare for highlighting the work of WRAD, and for being a sponsor of World Radiotherapy Awareness Day’s inaugural year.    You can read the full article here: We’d love for you to feature WRAD in your own publication or newsletter.  Contact us  for more info.

On 4th September, New Zealand radiation therapists led a team effort to celebrate the impact of radiotherapy through a morning tea and cutting of a spectacular WRAD cake. Interested in organising an activity or event like this? Share it with us on our website: