World Cancer Day 2021: IAEA Continues Fight Against Cancer In The Face Of COVID-19
By Omar Yusuf, IAEA Department of Technical Cooperation and
Joanne Liou, IAEA Office of Public Information and Communication
Recognizing the challenges presented by the COVID‐19 pandemic and rallying efforts under the theme, ‘I am and I will,’ this year’s World Cancer Day provides an opportunity to commend medical professionals, caregivers, policy makers, researchers and advocates whose work continued unabated, despite the global pandemic.
The goal of World Cancer Day, 4 February, is to raise awareness of cancer and catalyse action towards a future free of the disease. The global cancer burden has risen to 19.3 million cases and 10 million cancer deaths in 2020, an increase from 18.1 million cases and 9.6 million deaths in 2018, according to the latest research from International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Much of this increase has been in developing countries, which the research indicates will continue to experience the greatest relative increases in cancer incidence by 2040.
Through its Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy, the Human Health Programme and other mechanisms, the IAEA helps counterparts and specialists around the world to enhance their clinical capacities, deploy new technologies, implement best practices and expand access to life-saving services, while maintaining patient and staff safety.
The IAEA has developed guidelines to help nuclear medicine departments minimize the risk of COVID-19 infections among patients, staff and visitors.
Adjusting to COVID-19
In March and April, as much of the world entered lockdown, the IAEA responded accordingly by providing virtual guidance and addressing the effects of the pandemic.
The IAEA developed and disseminated new guidelines designed to help nuclear medicine departments minimize the risk of COVID-19 infections among patients, staff and visitors with new operating procedures. Subsequently, the IAEA hosted webinars in multiple languages with professionals from around the world, sharing their institutions’ experience and emerging best practices.
To present best practices for chest CT, including scan parameters and related radiation doses with specific emphasis on COVID-19 imaging with CT, the IAEA organized a webinar in April 2020. The webinar was followed up by two scientific papers to assist health professionals in using radiation appropriately: Chest CT Practice and Protocols for COVID-19 from Radiation Dose Management Perspective and Variations in CT Utilization, Protocols, and Radiation Doses in COVID-19 Pneumonia.
The IAEA organized free webinars in radiation protection in medicine, bringing together worldwide experts to share knowledge and expertise, strengthening radiation protection efforts and ensuring continuity of all services under the circumstances of the pandemic.
Medical radioisotopes are used to produce radiopharmaceuticals – medical drugs applied to diagnose and treat cancer. In April 2020, the IAEA conducted a survey among major reactor-based medical radioisotope producers to assess the continuity of the supply chain. It organized a webinar for stakeholders to help define needs, share best practices of operations and identify means to ensure the continuity of the supply chain.
To help minimize interruptions to knowledge sharing and networking, the IAEA arranged for professionals from low- and middle-income countries to virtually participate in the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Annual Meeting and the European Congress of Radiology in July 2020.
The International Conference on Molecular Imaging and Clinical PET-CT in the Era of Theranostics, held online in November 2020, had special sessions devoted to the impact of the pandemic on nuclear medicine services and the role of medical imaging in COVID-19 patients.
The upcoming International Conference on Advances in Radiation Oncology (ICARO-3) will feature specific sessions on the impact and challenges that COVID-19 has had on radiotherapy, which is required by every second cancer patient worldwide.
Nuclear techniques for cancer
Facing social distancing measures, the IAEA ensured that national lockdowns did not hinder pertinent studies or prevent stakeholders from keeping up with the latest uses of nuclear techniques to diagnose and treat cancer.
Scientists working together through an IAEA Coordinated Research Project developed two new nanoparticles that hold promise for a new generation of nanosized radiopharmaceuticals, which could dramatically improve early detection and therapy of various forms of cancers.
In December, more than 60 practicing physicians, technologists, medical physicists and radiopharmacists from 19 African countries attended a regional training course to explore the latest advances in nuclear medicine and cancer diagnosis.
The IAEA engaged closely with its network of partner organizations to devise new strategies to address this new double burden of cancer and COVID-19 at the World Health Summit (WHS) and at the Executive Board meeting of the World Health Organization (WHO) in October 2020 and January 2021, respectively. At the WHS, IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi shared results of an IAEA survey that was conducted to understand the global COVID-19 impact on key health services to diagnose and treat chronic conditions, such as cancer.
Expanding partnerships
In 2020, new partnerships were forged to bring together stakeholders of the global cancer community, leveraging the competencies of partner organizations to help expand access to effective, safe and sustainable cancer prevention, diagnostics and treatment services.
Around 70 per cent of women who develop cervical cancer require radiotherapy during their treatment. To enhance the availability of such radiotherapy services, the IAEA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with UNAIDS to scale-up their ongoing efforts to address cervical cancer, which kills 310 000 women each year.
Taking advantage of recent breakthroughs in accelerator technologies, the IAEA signed a three-year partnership with Japan’s Okayama University to expand the use of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy, a non-invasive therapeutic technique for treating invasive malignant tumours.
The IAEA and the Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, Portugal (POR-ICNAS) signed an agreement to work together in the area of radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals production. POR-ICNAS is the first IAEA Collaborating Centre in the field of cyclotron radiopharmaceutical production, as well as the first centre dedicated entirely to radiopharmacy.
The IAEA signed Practical Arrangements and established partnership agreements with the Sovereign Order of Malta, the Global Access to Cancer Care Foundation and the French Society of Nuclear Medicine to support capacity building and training in cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Missions go virtual
In collaboration with the WHO and IARC, the IAEA conducts imPACT Reviews to evaluate a country’s capacities to help in the planning and implementation of comprehensive cancer control programmes.
In 2020, imPACT missions assumed a new virtual format, allowing IAEA experts to continue delivering valuable assessments of needs and capacities, throughout the global pandemic.
These reviews are currently underway and are at varying stages of implementation in six countries, including Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Mali, Nepal and Senegal.
