An alliance of the four leading bodies representing the radiation therapy sector has today outlined key requirements to ensure Australians living in regional and rural areas have improved access to quality cancer care.

The Radiation Oncology Alliance worked together to update the Establishing and sustaining regional and rural radiation therapy centres issues paper, first published in 2016. The alliance consists of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists’ (RANZCR) Faculty of Radiation Oncology, Australasian College for Physical Scientists and Engineers in Medicine (ACPSEM), Australian Society of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy (ASMIRT), and Cancer Nurses Society of Australia (CNSA).

The paper outlines principles to guide the establishment of radiation therapy services in regional and rural areas, including workforce and resourcing, IT infrastructure, and local collaboration.