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Heading towards the very first World Radiotherapy Awareness Day (WRAD), Sarah Quinlan MBE reflects on what it means to spotlight this transformative treatment and the skilled professionals who deliver it.  

As we approach the very first World Radiotherapy Awareness Day on September 7th, I find myself reflecting on the transformative power of radiotherapy and the dedicated professionals who deliver it with skill and compassion. 

It’s been three years since I became Charity Director of Radiotherapy UK, and we’ve covered a lot of ground thanks to our many supporters and partners, and a commitment to collaboration.  

World-class Radiotherapy

We’re a charity speaking up for patients by breaking down barriers to World-class radiotherapy in the UK. Our mission is simple: to make sure that everyone who needs radiotherapy gets the right treatment, at the right time—no matter where they live.   

I’m sure you’ll agree it’s a close fit with the aims of World Radiotherapy Awareness Day.  

• Fifteen years ago, radiotherapy in the UK was in a strong position. But today? It’s chaotic .with patients facing significant variation in access to radiotherapy depending on their postcode.  

• Despite having the infrastructure, we’ve lost strategic direction. And as a charity we’re now fighting to bring radiotherapy back to where it needs to be—aligned with the investment it deserves and the outcomes that patients deserve. 

• The statistics are sobering. In the past decade, over half a million cancer patients in the UK have waited too long for treatment. While our overall access may be better than in many countries, the fact that we’ve regressed should be a wake-up call for any government serious about cancer care. 

And it must be taken seriously. Cancer cases are soaring. By 2040, we’re expecting 2,000 more cancer cases every week in the UK. But in 2021, only 35% of UK cancer patients received radiotherapy as a primary treatment—far below the 53% recommended internationally.  

World Radiotherapy Awareness Day

And this is where World Radiotherapy Awareness Day comes in.  

This is our chance to look outward and welcome in the rest of the world. We need to show our pride and expertise in what our radiotherapy workforce can do: saving and changing lives no less. For the UK it is time to raise these skilled professionals up and stop taking them for granted.  

If we can get radiotherapy out of the bunkers and into the spotlight, we can bring forward evidence-based solutions, all ready and waiting in the Vision document we created back in 2024 with the radiotherapy community. 

It’s been wonderful to be part of the WRAD committee and see this awareness day take shape. And particularly moving to watch videos flood in worldwide from the global workforce.  

One phrase, from Therapeutic Radiographer Ssemata Benjamin, sums it up so perfectly:

“You (the radiotherapy workforce) might have never won a Nobel Prize, they might never see you on the TV, but trust me, your ample contribution makes someone’s life a little bit better.” 

That’s it: that’s the blend I love about radiotherapy, modern life-changing science with people at its heart. 

Let’s come together on the 7th, 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.