The Year of radiotherapy

Did you know that 2011 was the Year of Radiotherapy, marking 100 years since Marie Curie won her second Nobel Prize for her work on radium?

A study of 2,000 members of the public released in January 2011 showed that serious misconceptions about radiotherapy persisted, despite the fact that it contributes significantly to the cure of cancer. While 47% of those asked thought targeted cancer drugs, like Herceptin, were modern, only 9% appreciated that radiotherapy is also a modern, cutting-edge treatment. What’s more, 40% described the procedure as “frightening.”

While the statistics listed above and the National radiotherapy awareness initiative was designed to help improve public understanding and increase awareness of the value of radiotherapy in Great Britain, one could imagine that much the same attitude about radiation exists in Canada.

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