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Scarcity of radiotherapy machines, as well as the skills required to treat patients and maintain the specialised equipment, is a concern globally.

Locally, Netcare Cancer Care is stepping up to expand access to world-class radiation therapy for more state patients through a public-private partnership aimed at addressing the treatment backlog at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH), where the demand outstrips available capacity.

“For approximately half of people diagnosed with cancer, radiation therapy, also known as radiotherapy, is a crucial aspect of oncology treatment,” says Dr Chris G. Mathew, interim managing director of Netcare Cancer Care.

“Either alone or in combination with chemotherapy, surgery or other therapies, it is an important treatment modality not only for achieving remission or prolonging life, but also for reducing the symptoms of cancer and improving the quality of daily life for those affected.”

What is radiotherapy?

Radiotherapy is a form of cancer treatment that uses beams of high energy to kill or slow the growth of cancer cells and shrink tumours.

The therapy is delivered by a highly skilled multidisciplinary team which includes radiotherapists, medical physicists, and clinical or radiation oncologists using specialised equipment called linear accelerators, which produce the radiation. Each course of treatment may require the person to attend daily sessions for several weeks.

“The advances in technology have allowed for more targeted radiation therapy, and in many cases, treatment sessions are becoming shorter, allowing for more capacity to assist more people in need of radiotherapy,” Dr Mathew explains.

Expanding lifesaving access
Netcare Cancer Care was one of a few private providers that offered a solution to assist patients from CMJAH, entering a public-private partnership earlier this year to provide radiotherapy services for the public sector at its private facility, Netcare Olivedale Hospital.

Head of Radiation Oncology at CMJAH, Professor Duvern Ramiah says that already great progress has been made towards addressing the backlog through this partnership. In terms of the arrangement, radiotherapy is provided for prostate and breast cancer.

“It is worth noting that even in wealthy countries like the UK, there are often waiting lists for these treatments which require expensive limited resources, yet we are anticipating that by early 2026 newly diagnosed patients will no longer have to wait,” says Prof Ramiah.

South Africa is comparatively fortunate. A 2022 study published in the Journal of Oncology Practice revealed that over 40 countries across Asia and Africa did not have a single radiotherapy doctor, underscoring a severe shortage of essential cancer treatment specialists in these regions.

“The global problem of access requires urgent intervention through partnerships such as this, as it has been estimated that worldwide a million additional lives could be saved if every person who requires radiation therapy for treatment could receive it in time,” Dr Mathew says.

Launch of a global awareness movement
Sunday, 7 September 2025, will mark the first ever World Radiotherapy Awareness Day, commemorating the 1953 anniversary when the first patient was treated with an early version of a linear accelerator –  the technology behind modern radiotherapy – at London’s Hammersmith Hospital in the United Kingdom.

Under the theme ‘One voice for radiotherapy’, World Radiotherapy Awareness Day aims to raise the volume on the global need to prioritise access to this treatment modality and acknowledge the role of skilled radiotherapy workers in delivering this lifesaving treatment.

“Radiotherapy has come so far in the 72 years since it was introduced, and the technology continues to evolve to provide more efficient, more targeted therapies to deliver precise doses that spare healthy surrounding tissue,” Dr Mathew says.

One notable example is the advanced Deep Inspiration Breath Hold (DIBH) treatment for breast cancer, where the person is coached to take a deep breath and hold it for a few seconds during the treatment, which causes the heart to move away from the treatment area to ensure minimal radiation exposure.

Importance of screening
“Even with the sophisticated cancer treatments available today, screening and prevention must remain the highest priority,” Dr Mathew emphasises.

“Although there are certain cancer risks, like family history, that are not within a person’s control, there are some risk factors we can influence, such as maintaining a healthy diet, regular exercise and avoiding smoking or excess alcohol.

“Regular health screenings can help to identify cancer in the early stages, when it is often easier to treat. Talk to your doctor or clinic about which cancer screenings are relevant for your age group and personal risk profile, and encourage your loved ones to do the same. There is more hope than ever in cancer care, and with greater awareness, we can help improve overall outcomes in our country,” Dr Mathew concludes.

For more information, please visit https://www.worldradiotherapy.org/ and https://www.netcare.co.za/Cancer-Care/Treatment-Options.

Ends.

Notes to editors
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