We’re pleased to share that WRAD has been featured by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) in the op-ed contribution “Radiotherapy at the Heart of Global Cancer Care", written by Global Coalition for Radiotherapy Executive Director Darien Laird. Darien is also a member of and contributor to the WRAD Committee: “This year marks the launch of World Radiotherapy Awareness Day (WRAD) on 7 September, a global movement to shine a light on radiotherapy and the people who deliver and benefit from it. WRAD is about recognition, solidarity, and action. It invites cancer organisations, hospitals, academic centres, professional societies, and industry leaders to raise their voices together.” - Darien Laird We are grateful to the UICC for amplifying this message. Read the full article here: We’d love for you to feature WRAD in your own publication or newsletter.  Contact us  for more info.

We’re pleased to share that WRAD has been featured in the article, “World Radiotherapy Awareness Day: A Call to Action to Make Radiotherapy Understood and Accessible” by Accuray.  The article features an interview with WRAD Co-Chair Katie Wakeham. “It is well established that timely access to radiotherapy can improve survival rates and quality of life for cancer patients, and knowing this has inspired me to campaign for the rights of people to receive it. I believe by communities coming together to leverage “One Voice for Radiotherapy” there is collective power to improve access to radiotherapy.” - Katie Wakeham Read the full article here: A heartfelt thank you to Accuray for supporting our cause and amplifying this movement. To feature your WRAD News on our website, please contact us for more info.

We’re pleased to share that The European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) has featured WRAD in their Newsletter. ESTRO President, Prof Matthias Guckenberger, shares a powerful message on why radiotherapy is essential, versatile, and lifesaving for millions of cancer patients worldwide. Access the full post here: We extend our sincere thanks to ESTRO for highlighting World Radiotherapy Awareness Day and for their ongoing support. We invite you to feature WRAD in your own publication or newsletter. Explore our WRAD Resource Toolkit   for ideas.

We are pleased to share this message from Arthur Kaindl, Head of Varian, a Siemens Healthineers Company, and one of our Visionary Sponsors of the inaugural World Radiation Therapy Day. Varian has a long-standing commitment to advancing cancer care and raising awareness of the essential role radiotherapy plays in treatment.   In his message, Arthur reflects on the advances achieved in radiotherapy, and the shared responsibility we have to continue driving innovation in cancer treatment. Radiotherapy is recommended for more than half of all cancer patients and its evolution has only been made possible through collaboration in the radiotherapy community. Today, the technology enable treatments that are more precise, more efficient, and more personalized, helping patients receive care that is more effective, less invasive, and better integrated into their daily lives.   Varian shares our mission to expand access to high-quality care in every community worldwide. Our thanks to their support in highlighting the progress made possible by clinicians, researchers, and patient advocates, who are helping make this a reality. Watch the video message from Arthur Kaindl:

WRAD has been featured in an article in the Swedish publication, Dagens Medicin .  Written by leaders of professional societies in Sweden, they state that: “The awaited plan for developing Swedish radiotherapy can't wait. WRAD will show that there are global needs to fill, in Sweden we face similar needs; staffing, equipment and research needs to be enforced. A national cancer strategy including resources for developing radiotherapy is suggested to the government.” The article is a reminder to decision makers that the radiotherapy community eagerly waits their decision, and the authors declare that they and the whole radiotherapy community is ready to start implementing this plan.  Read the full article here: To feature your WRAD news story, contact us   for more info.

It is with gratitude that we share this message from HRH Princess Dina Mired and The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC). We appreciate every advocate and supporter who is raising their voice for radiotherapy. Share your voice by posting a video on social media and tagging @World Radiotherapy Awareness Day so we can share your contributions. For other ideas, make sure to explore our WRAD Resource Toolkit . Or feature WRAD in your own publication or newsletter. As HRH Princess Dina Mired said: “Together, let us raise One Voice for fair access, continued innovation, and a brighter future for all those facing cancer.”

We are excited to announce that our WRAD campaign logo is available in Spanish! This milestone was made possible thanks to the generous support of Joaquín Carlos Ferrer Criado, the GCR Resident Partner  Co-Chair, and the Sociedad Uruguaya de Radioterapia Clínica Oncológica (SURCO).  They not only provided the translation of our logo, but have offered to do a Spanish translation of the website as well.  Looking ahead to next year’s campaign, we would love to expand our translations even further. If you or your organization are interested in helping us translate the logo or other campaign materials into your language, we would be delighted to collaborate. Be sure to see all of our available WRAD translations in the WRAD Resource Toolkit . We also have logos in Arabic, Chinese, French and Swahili. We have ‘One Voice’ posters in many more languages. A heartfelt thank you goes out to all of our sponsors, and to everyone who has supported this initiative, whether by contributing translations, planning events, sharing materials, or simply spreading the word. We couldn’t have done this without you!  Together we are trying to ensure  people living with cancer get access to life-saving radiotherapy. Don't miss this video of our SURCO colleagues presenting el Dia Mundial por la Radioterapia on the television show, Desayunos Informales .

Cancer Voices SA, along with the radiotherapy team at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, hosted a guided tour of a radiotherapy bunker. The tour group were primarily cancer researchers who have never seen a LINAC.   Julie McCrossin, Patient Advocate, Cancer Voices SA expressed the importance of reaching out to the cancer community to learn more about this vital cancer treatment. She also shared her gratitude to the Royal Adelaide Hospital team members, and the cancer survivors on this tour: “Thanks to cancer survivor Chris who discussed his experience of radiotherapy treatment for both prostate cancer and head and neck cancer. And to the Radiation Therapist who had herself been treated with radiotherapy for breast cancer who shared the new insights she had gained from being a patient.”  Cancer Voices SA is based in Adelaide South Australia, led by cancer survivors and carers, using lived experiences to inform and improve cancer outcomes. Interested in organising an activity or event like this? Share it with us on our website:

We’re pleased to share that WRAD has been featured in Radiotherapy UK’s News . Sarah Quinlan, Radiotherapy UK Charity Director and member of the WRAD Committee, shares the importance of highlighting radiotherapy treatment, and recognizing the expertise of the professionals who deliver it. “Let’s come together on the 7th [of September], wherever we are in the world, and create one voice for radiotherapy. Because with awareness we can spark action, and with collective action we can save lives.” - Sarah Quinlan MBE Read the full article here: We encourage you to feature WRAD in your own publication or newsletter. Use the Resource Toolkit News Article template to help you get started. Share your publication with us.

The countdown is on for the first week of September, where we will recognise World Radiotherapy Awareness Day. Get ready to amplify your voice with our Resource Toolkit , packed with ready-to-use graphics, post templates, and fact-based messages. It’s never been easier to share your support. The WRAD Resource Toolkit includes: Social Media Posts Access our library of social media templates. Graphics specifically designed for you to share directly or personalise.  Engage your community with sample posts to use on your social media channels during 1 Sept - 7 Sept. One Voice for Radiotherapy Key Messages: (multiple languages) This shareable visual is available in several languages to help unify messaging across global audiences Radiotherapy Facts & Infographics Share accurate, evidence-based information across your networks. Download the quick-reference guide featuring key facts and references, and the visually engaging radiotherapy infographics. Printable Posters Print these WRAD posters to use in photo opportunities or other events to show your support for WRAD and display at your events Events & Presentations Browse our event ideas or print materials for your next event.  Download the WRAD virtual background for your next virtual meeting. Personalise your own WRAD messages for your presentation using the information slides. Design Elements & Brand Guideline Explore our brand colours, fonts, and background graphics. Feel free to use these guidelines to align your voice with the WRAD movement. Logos Help us speak with One Voice by using our official logos, available in multiple languages and formats so you can easily use them across print and digital platforms. How to Use the WRAD Resource Toolkit You are encouraged to download and share any of the content provided in the Toolkit.  Use them on social media, in newsletters, presentations, websites, or in print to amplify our messages.  Use them to run a WRAD event in your workplace or organisation.  Use them to help us all speak with One Voice in raising awareness of radiotherapy.  We need your diverse voices to create one powerful message.  Every share, post, event, or story helps reach new audiences. To download the files you want to use: Go to the Resource Toolkit Select the file and click the download button Files will open in a new browser window. Right-click (Ctrl-click) to save files to your computer. To personalise the files: Same instructions as above; download the images and documents as .png or .pdf files and upload them into your favorite editing software, like canva.com . Check out the Resource Toolkit and download the materials today:

World Radiotherapy Awareness Day (WRAD) is honored to have the support of the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI).  They have provided us with beautiful photos and videos from a recent project led by Dr Solomon Kibudde, Radiation Oncologist, UCI and Katie Wakeham, Clinical Oncologist and WRAD Co-Chair. With the support of the Emirates Foundation and Climbers Against Cancer, Katie Wakeham (head and neck oncologist) led a team of radiotherapy professionals, Jo McNamara, Claire Hardiman, Naman Julka Anderson, Jack Doraiswamy and Toni Hewines, to the Uganda Cancer institute (UCI) to help educate, train and support the clinical staff. Dr. Wakeham has been collaborating with the team for many years and the UCI has already benefited from her dedicated support and training. The Uganda Cancer Institute  The UCI is the only radiotherapy cancer centre in Uganda for a population of about 45 million people. The UCI has a vision to build a sustainable high quality radiotherapy service and has a relatively young team of highly committed staff. The Ugandan government has made a significant investment in radiotherapy services over the past years. The Radiotherapy Unit has 3 external beam radiotherapy machines, a CT scanner and a simulator. The Ugandan government plans to build four regional radiotherapy centres to improve access for the population. From Gatwick to Kampala: Radiotherapy and the Power of Collaboration It’s not every day that six UK-based radiotherapy professionals pack their bags at Gatwick and fly across continents to collaborate with colleagues in Uganda, but thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Emirates Foundation and Climbers Against Cancer, that’s exactly what we did. Our destination? The Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) in Kampala, where we spent an unforgettable, humbling, and deeply impactful week working alongside local oncologists, radiation therapists, dosimetrists, physicists and nurses.  We arrived in Kampala full of anticipation, ready to listen, learn, and share. Our main mission? To work collaboratively with the radiotherapy team to explore how we could improve the accuracy, efficiency, and patient experience in radiation treatments. What we experienced on the ground left an indelible impression on us all. From day one, we were welcomed with warmth, openness, and an eagerness to connect. We spent our days working through the radiotherapy pathway from CT simulation, to treatment planning, and finally to delivery. We quickly realised that while the expertise and dedication of the UCI staff was phenomenal, the service is under-resourced and the number of radiation therapists and oncologists is incredibly limited, and yet they work tirelessly under pressure to care for patients, many of whom arrive with late-stage disease.  Our aim wasn’t to impose, but to co-create realistic, sustainable improvements. We identified several areas where targeted training and education could significantly enhance radiotherapy techniques. But we also recognised that change can’t happen overnight, especially in a system already stretched so thin.  What’s needed is continued, long-term support, not just financially, but in terms of mentorship, audit, evaluation, and shared learning. One-time visits can spark ideas, but sustained collaboration is what turns them into action. This is what we have been inspired to do after our first visit. One of the most emotional parts of our trip was treating a large number of paediatric patients. We identified some immediate improvements that could make a big difference: child-friendly waiting areas, distraction therapies, and better immobilisation techniques to ensure safer, more accurate treatment delivery.  Highlighting Stories We didn’t just talk; we listened and recorded. Over the course of our visit, we created three Rad Chat  podcast episodes with UCI radiation therapists, shining a light on their incredible work, the challenges they face, and their personal stories of motivation and growth in a demanding environment. Important Moments One of our proudest moments was delivering a lecture on accuracy, precision, and reproducibility in radiotherapy. It might sound dry to outsiders, but these concepts can literally mean the difference between missing a tumour or damaging healthy tissue. We highlighted practical ways to improve setup accuracy and reduce the treatment of surrounding healthy organs, something that’s critically important in resource constrained settings. Lessons Learned What hit us hardest? The stark contrast to the UK. Patients lying on the floor waiting for treatment, families scraping together money for their treatment often decimating their entire family financially,  the high number of patients with advanced disease. It was sobering. It was confronting. But it also lit a fire in us to do more, to connect more, to advocate more, and to never take our own healthcare systems for granted. Thank you to Dr Katie Wakeham and the amazing team at UCI that made this trip possible. We are excited to continue to work with the team at UCI.  _____________________________________________________________________ Contributed by Jo McNamara Therapeutic Radiographer and Senior Lecturer,  UK

Kicking off their World Radiotherapy Awareness Day Campaign, our radiotherapy colleagues in Tanzania participated in a Fun Run.  This past June, they laced up their shoes and hit the pavement for those living with cancer. Interested in doing something like this? Organise an activity or event and share it with us on our website: Need posters or resources to support your event? Check out our resources in our media toolkit: