World Cancer Day Brings Discussions for More Affordable Radiotherapy Treatment Options

In celebration of World Cancer Day on February 4^th, director of IAEA General Rafael Mariano Grossi raised awareness about radiotherapy and how widely used the treatments are throughout the world. He brought to light the fact that 1/3 of lower-to-middle-income countries do not have access to any radiotherapy treatments. A total of 28 countries in Africa do not have a single radiotherapy unit, which makes a cancer diagnosis almost a death sentence for many. It is estimated that 300,000 women die from cervical cancer each year, which needs to stop as this form of cancer can typically be treated and cured in developed countries. The IAEA continues to spread awareness and will establish nuclear and radiation medicine services and provide training to medical professionals to help change these statistics. To learn more, read this article.