Now 2025 has come to a close, it is a good time to recognise the amazing progress made by the wonderful people I work with on important projects that I’m fortunate to be involved with.
Radiotherapy UK
I have continued my campaign work with Radiotherapy UK throughout 2025. We have formed many new exciting partnerships with other organisations and, most importantly, continued to bring our voice to Parliament.
We continue to advocate for best practices to be present in a National Cancer Plan and for the reduction of wait times to within a 62-day target. You can read about this #CatchUpWithCancer campaign here. I would like to thank all the wonderful MPs who support us as well as the journalists who help us advocate for patients.
Radiotherapy UK has also been working hard to raise awareness about the need for updated radiotherapy machines and equipment and more workforce. This year, we have paid special attention to calling for all four nations to establish National Radiotherapy Advisory Groups. This is a proven method to reduce wait times and improve technology.
We must continue presenting the message that radiotherapy is an important part of cancer treatment, and we need all our patients to have access to this life-saving treatment.
As the chair, I want to thank those who make these campaigns so successful. I am grateful to all in the media for frequently covering this issue and raising awareness, as well as to The Lancet Oncology, our fundraising partners, the All Party Parliament Group on Radiotherapy (APPGRT), sponsors, and all those working hard each day amidst the chaos of the world to improve patient care. Several recent media segments are captured on the website here.
Global Coalition for Radiotherapy
It has been inspiring to see the great work coming out of GCR. We have seen what can be achieved when international colleagues work together to improve the lives of cancer patients. Sponsors, societies, and individuals have really stepped up this year to support radiotherapy on a global level, and we want to recognise their achievements.
One significant achievement this year was the launch of World Radiotherapy Awareness Day (WRAD). I was inspired to see that people from 109 countries support the WRAD movement. You can too by registering your interest:
If you missed my celebratory blog post with my small contribution to the day, the link is here.
I also enjoyed representing GCR in a Financing Cancer Services Worldwide Roundtable session at the London Global Cancer Week (LGCW) Roundtable. It was great to engage with so many diverse thought leaders. We had global health experts, policymakers, industry representatives, and economists all working together to shift the conversation from identifying the problem to strategising viable financing solutions that increase patient access to cancer services.
We also have a special blog post announcing the new About Adaptive Radiotherapy website where I was invited to write the forward. I hope you will explore and be a part of these significant resources and initiatives.
LhARA
I am excited about the headway the LhARA project has made this year. The goal of this project is to bring cutting-edge laser technology to produce charged particles out of the laboratory and into a clinical care setting where they can deliver precise and more comfortable treatment. A few exciting things to note; we have ignited a very productive partnership with Leo Cancer Care, and had the opportunity to present LhARA to French President Emmanuel Macron at Imperial College.
LhARA has launched a newsletter and social media pages if you would like to stay up to date, please follow along and visit their website here:
PET Research
We continue to explore the potential of Total Body Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging for investigating subclinical metastatic disease using new methodology. We encourage those interested to please help with continuing efforts. We are looking forward to working with you.
St. George’s House and Lancet Oncology Article
A big thank you to St. George’s House for once again convening experts in a safe and collaborative environment to discuss important topics. I would also like to extend my gratitude to the global experts who came together to examine the way cancer treatment and diagnosis are handled in other countries and what we can learn from other countries about what works in national cancer control plans. Our goal is to provide an actionable roadmap to make improvements here in the UK to support the DOHSC and NHS.
I encourage all to read this important work published in the Lancet Oncology here.
Join us and support these exciting initiatives
Your contributions to this great work in the UK and around the world makes everything possible. If any out there are as passionate about these initiatives as I am, please join us as we work together to improve patient outcomes around the world. A few ways to get involved:
- Become a volunteer with Radiotherapy UK. We are eager to have your voice.
- Those interested in supporting LhARA research can learn more about our newly formed foundation CP4CT.org
- We are eager to engage with individuals and organisations who want to support global radiotherapy implementation projects with the Global Coalition for Radiotherapy. Please be in touch and learn more here.