ISLAMABAD: The Nuclear Medicine, Oncology and Radiotherapy Institute (NORI), a leading cancer hospital of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), organized the first World Radiotherapy Awareness Day event in Pakistan on Saturday.
Dr Shakeel Abbas Rofi, Member (Science), PAEC, was the chief guest. He paid tribute to PAEC’s 20 Atomic Energy Cancer Hospitals, especially NORI, for their crucial role in serving cancer patients. He termed the IAEA “Anchor Centre” status for NORI a remarkable achievement and urged the hospital to extend its expertise to other cancer centers nationwide.
He also highlighted the urgent need for around 200 Linear Accelerators (LINACs) in Pakistan, stressing that with each machine costing about Rs650 million, indigenous development has become essential.
Earlier, Dr. Humera Mahmood, Director and Chief Oncologist, NORI, welcomed participants and underlined the vital role of radiotherapy as the most important non-surgical cancer treatment. She noted that almost all cancer patients — including one-third of children — require it at some stage.
Citing the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), she said Pakistan now faces nearly 195,000 new cancer cases annually, while globally 70 percent of cases occur in low-income countries where only 30 percent of patients have access to radiotherapy.
She highlighted NORI’s pioneering interventions such as 4D simulation for tumor tracking, MR-based image-guided brachytherapy (the only facility in Pakistan), and advanced services including CyberKnife, PET Scan, Digital Mammography, PCR Labs, Blood Bank, Tumor Boards, and telemedicine networks.
The event also featured a poster competition titled “Radiotherapy: A Fundamental Pillar in Cancer Care”, followed by an awareness walk. The chief guest later inaugurated a DEXA Scanner machine at NORI.
World Radiotherapy Awareness Day, launched globally on September 7, 2025, commemorates the first patient treated with a linear accelerator. Under the theme “One Voice for Radiotherapy,” the initiative calls for equitable access to safe, modern cancer treatment and highlights gaps in infrastructure and workforce, particularly in developing countries.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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