Vienna, Austria

ESTRO 2023

Session Item

Monday
May 15
16:30 - 17:30
Schubert
Challenges in global radiation oncology
semia zarraa, Tunisia;
Yolande Lievens, Belgium
Proffered Papers
Interdisciplinary
17:00 - 17:10
Call for action: How to help Ukraine
Natalka Suchowerska, Australia
SP-0912

Abstract

Call for action: How to help Ukraine
Authors:
Abstract Text
Even if the russian war against Ukraine were to stop today, the long-lasting effect of the decimated healthcare system in Ukraine will last for years to come. The effective cancer recovery plan in Ukraine must have radiotherapy at its heart, with precise coordination between governing bodies, professional organizations, patient organizations, multidisciplinary professionals, and industry. But all these efforts start with individuals, and the individual power and will of Ukrainians to fight for their cancer patients is truly inspiring. Help Ukraine Group (HUG) was formed to garner support for Ukrainian cancer centers in response to the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. Oncology practitioners with Ukrainian roots practicing in the United States of America and Australia established connections with oncology leaders in Ukraine to create a feedback loop of establishing a need and providing support for the need. HUG members provide support for oncology and radiation oncology services by shipping supplies, providing automation software, and creating training materials and training opportunities abroad for Ukrainian oncology practitioners. HUG members are grateful to the vendors currently supporting Ukraine and we appeal to all the industry partners to support the aging linear accelerator fleet in Ukraine with enhancing maintenance, providing spare parts, upgrading the software. Cancer centers with newly installed linear accelerators also require support in facilitating their clinical launch in the time of war. Training the personnel, supplying them with the tools they need to treat the patients is critical in these challenging conditions. Automation tools can help simplifying and streamlining the workflow in the environment of increased patient volume and decreased staffing. Professional organizations and cancer institutions can help with offering training materials and opportunities for attending professional conferences and training abroad. Let us help these Ukrainian doctor-heroes to win against two evils: cancer and war.