ESTRO Annual Report 2018

The ESTRO Cancer Foundation (ECF) wants to tackle the barriers to the optimal provision of radiotherapy. On the 7th of November 2017, ECF launched its first project; the Marie Curie Legacy Campaign with the intention to reach out to the lay public with the message: Radiotherapy cures cancer, so to raise awareness of the benefits of radiotherapy in cancer treatment. Radiation oncology is a cornerstone and plays an important role in most modern cancer treatments. Around half of cancer patients in Europe should receive radiotherapy at some point in their disease. However, there are important variations and deficiencies in access to radiation oncology services and many patients who should receive radiotherapy do not receive it. The ECF tackles the barriers to an optimal provision of radiotherapy, focusing particularly on perception issues that prevent patients, decision makers and/or medical professionals to refer to radiotherapy. Thanks to the ongoing campaign we aim at improving the quality of care and access to care through increased efficiency or cost effectiveness.

The ECF supports projects that are designed to:

raise awareness and ensure understanding of radiotherapy

facilitate research and ensure that research is disseminated and accessible

promote education to produce highly qualified leaders in radiation and oncology

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The ESTRO CANCER FOUNDATION