More investment in radiotherapy sought

More investment is needed in radiotherapy to tackle the backlog in cancer care built up during the pandemic, an expert said, as he called for the treatment’s “PR problem” to be addressed.

A minority of people see radiotherapy as a cutting-edge treatment compared with targeted drugs or proton beam therapy, a survey by The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) found.

Just 12% of people questioned thought radiotherapy should be an area prioritised for funding.

But ICR experts argue it is the “unsung hero of cancer treatments” and needs more investment.

Professor Kevin Harrington, head of radiotherapy and imaging at the ICR in London, said: “Some radiotherapy regimens can now be given effectively over a much shorter period of time, limiting cancer patients’ exposure to the risk of contracting Covid19 and helping relieve pressures on the NHS.”