Virtual Reality Boosts Gynaecological Radiotherapy Training at Rays of Hope Anchor Centres

For gynaecological cancers such as cervical cancer – the fourth most common cancer among women – low- and middle-income countries continue to face the highest rates of incidence and mortality. Trained professionals are part of the solution for remedying this disparity.

“The IAEA-led Lancet Oncology Commission on Radiotherapy and Theranostics showed that the cancer workforce of 2022 has to expand by more than 60 per cent just to meet the global cancer burden of 2050,” said May Abdel-Wahab, Director of the IAEA Division of Human Health. “With approximately 40 per cent of these professionals predicted to be in upper middle-income countries and nearly 25 per cent in lower-middle-income countries, we need context-specific solutions that can accelerate the speed and scale of progress in realising the workforce of tomorrow.”

To address this, the IAEA organized a three-day workshop which convened radiation oncologists, radiation therapists and medical physicists from all 12 Anchor Centres (in Algeria, Argentina, India, Japan, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan, Republic of Korea, Slovenia, South Africa, Thailand and Türkiye). Through technical discussions exploring various courses and programmes on gynaecological radiotherapy within their respective regions, they leveraged their collective experiences to successfully develop a standardised training programme for gynaecological cancers. This training programme will help ensure a more structured and harmonized approach across all Anchor Centres, including the host institution.

As part of its assistance, the IAEA also provided each Rays of Hope Anchor Centre with virtual reality goggles which were supported by an extrabudgetary contribution from the Government of Japan. Through these headsets, Anchor Centres can utilize the virtual reality resources that the IAEA has developed through its human health programme – in part with extrabudgetary funding from Belgium and the United States of America – to train medical professionals. Alongside the IAEA’s other educational opportunities, trainees can build in-depth understandings of radiotherapy cancer set-ups – from equipment placement to patient positioning. They can also practice brachytherapy procedures in a virtual setting to emulate procedures in clinical environments.

“The [virtual reality] headset will greatly enhance the capabilities of our department by providing an immersive, hands-on learning experience for registrars and physicists alike. This innovative tool has the ability to increase confidence and proficiency in brachytherapy, allowing the student to work through the module at their own pace, while also saving valuable time for educators and clinicians,” said Krishantha Pillay, a radiation oncologist at the Nuclear Medicine Research Infrastructure facility of Steve Biko Academic Hospital – the Anchor Centre in South Africa.

Echoing this, Mohammad Abdulraheem, a senior medical physicist at King Hussein Cancer Center – the Anchor Centre in Jordan – said: “The addition of virtual reality in women's gynecological cancer and brachytherapy procedures enables us to simulate medical and technical procedures in clinical environments for all trainees in the radiation oncology department (radiation oncologists, medical physicists, and radiation oncology technicians). This could further help us to provide effective high-quality health care while taking into consideration patient privacy and providing hands-on training in a radiation oncology department that is crowded with patients.”

For women with gynaecological cancer, this creative and cost-effective solution can lead to better equipped medical specialists who provide safe and effective high-quality care. During the workshop’s opening ceremony, representatives of countries hosting Anchor Centres – including the ambassadors of Algeria, Argentina, Japan, Jordan, South Africa and Türkiye – underlined the vital role Anchor Centres play in advancing cancer care.

“Financed by both government and private sector contributions and the excellent coordination of the professional staff of the Agency, I commend all those who bring this valuable project in motion,” praised Ambassador Atsushi Kaifu, Permanent Representative of Japan to the International Organizations in Vienna, in his remarks. “Let’s continue this fight [against cancer] because every patient – wherever he or she is – deserves hope.”