A patient is prepared for treatment at a cancer centre in Senegal. (Photo: M. Klingenboeck/IAEA)
Rays of Hope
Each year, cancer claims over 10 million lives worldwide - a toll projected to almost double by 2050.
Although many cancers are treatable - especially when detected early - access to timely diagnosis and life‑saving care remains uneven. Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) often have limited access to modern medical imaging and radiotherapy equipment, trained oncology professionals, research capacity and essential services. More than half of all cancer cases occur in these countries, and nearly two-thirds of cancer deaths.
Radiotherapy, a cornerstone of cancer care, is needed by about half of all cancer patients. While most patients in high-income countries who need radiotherapy receive it, in low-income countries, as few as one in ten people with cancer have access. Some countries have no radiotherapy services at all.
For over 60 years, the IAEA has been helping countries tackle cancer by expanding access to radiotherapy, diagnostic imaging and nuclear medicine. IAEA applied research has translated into innovations in imaging, radiotherapy and radiopharmaceuticals enabling safer, more effective diagnosis and treatments.
In 2022, IAEA launched the Rays of Hope initiative to help bridge global gaps in cancer care by expanding access where it is needed most.
"The IAEA's Rays of Hope initiative is working to reduce these profound disparities by providing high-impact, cost-effective support in underserved regions," said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. "We are striving to ensure that people with cancer and their doctors have the tools they need to fight the disease no matter where in the world they are."
