On World Cancer Day 4th February, the world is reminded that cancer is not only a medical challenge but also a policy challenge that requires effective planning, preventive measures, and equitable access to health care services. A recent analysis by the World Health Organization and its International Agency for Research on Cancer clearly says that up to 37 percent of cancer cases worldwide are preventable. Tobacco use, alcohol consumption, obesity, infections, air pollution, physical inactivity, and ultraviolet exposure were responsible for nearly 7.1 million preventable cancer cases since 2022.
However prevention alone cannot help millions already living with cancer. This is very common in developing countries where hospitals and treatment facilities are limited but timely diagnosis and treatment can save lives. That’s why it is important to focus not only on prevention but also on the technologies such as nuclear science that make modern cancer care possible.
Here the International Atomic Energy Agency plays a fundamental role. Through medical imaging, radiotherapy, radiopharmaceuticals, sterilization techniques, and professional training, the Agency has expanded access to cancer care across regions. Its Rays of Hope initiative focuses specifically on strengthening radiotherapy and imaging services in countries where these facilities are limited.
It is playing a key role in improving cancer treatment and awareness across Asia. In August 2025, the Agency organized a regional training course in Malaysia on ultra-hypofractionated radiotherapy, a method that delivers higher doses of radiation in fewer sessions. This approach reduces treatment time and cost while ensuring precise and effective care for patients especially in countries with limited resources.
Thirty specialists from ten Asian countries, including Pakistan, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka, took part in the course. The program included lectures, hands-on practice, and sessions tailored for radiation oncologists, therapists, and medical physicists. Participants learned how to safely plan treatments, position patients, and deliver high doses accurately to tumors in organs such as the brain, liver, lung, and prostate.
In 2025, the Agency, in collaboration with the World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, conducted comprehensive cancer control assessments in eight countries. During the same year the number of Rays of Hope Anchor Centers increased to eighteen. Each center serves as a hub for training, mentorship, and technical support in cancer diagnosis and treatment.
These efforts point to an important reality: modern oncology depends heavily on nuclear-enabled technologies. Advanced imaging tools such as Positron Emission Tomography combined with Computed Tomography and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography combined with Computed Tomography allow early and precise detection of tumors. Radiotherapy, required by nearly half of all cancer patients at some stage, uses controlled radiation to treat malignancies with accuracy.
For more than five decades the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission has developed a nationwide network of twenty Atomic Energy Cancer Hospitals, the recent one constructed in Muzaffarabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir. These hospitals treat over 40,000 new cancer patients every year where around one million cancer-related procedures performed annually. Together, they treat approximately 80 percent of the country’s cancer burden.
These hospitals are very well-equipped to diagnose and treat cancer. They offer Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Computed Tomography scans, digital X-rays, and mammography for accurate diagnosis. For treatment, their radiation therapy departments use Linear Accelerators, Cobalt-60 teletherapy units, CyberKnife, brachytherapy, and digital simulators. They also use advanced techniques like Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy, Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy, and Image-Guided Radiation Therapy to target tumors precisely.
In collaboration with the Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission has trained over 2,600 personnel, including 250 doctors. Atomic Energy Cancer Hospital Nuclear Medicine, Oncology and Radiotherapy in Islamabad is working in close collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency under the Rays of Hope initiative.
The prevention findings of the International Agency for Research on Cancer and the treatment experience of Pakistan’s Atomic Energy Cancer Hospitals together present a complete approach to cancer control. Prevention reduces future incidence by addressing lifestyle, environmental, and infectious risks. Nuclear technology ensures that existing patients receive timely and effective diagnosis and treatment.
World Cancer Day emphasizes prevention, but it should also recognize the technologies that make treatment possible. The integration of nuclear science into public health systems shows how prevention and treatment can work together in practice.
