Continuing to ensure safe radiation therapy treatment for Canadians

The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer is pleased to be a partner in the new quality assurance guidance for Canadian radiation treatment programs. Developed by the Canadian Partnership for Quality Radiotherapy (CPQR), an alliance of Canada’s radiation therapy community, this guidance document marks an important step in building a comprehensive quality program for radiation treatment in Canada.

“Radiation therapy is a safe and effective form of cancer treatment with over 100,000 Canadian cancer patients treated each year,” says Dr. Michael Milosevic, the Chair of the CPQR and past President of CARO. “Canada has a proven track record in safely delivering this increasingly complex and important treatment and these new guidance documents will help make sure we continue to do so.”

Radiation therapy is used to save and prolong the lives of people with cancer. About 50% of individuals diagnosed with cancer require it at some point during the management of their disease. The CPQR was formed to proactively ensure that this effective and safe treatment system can be further enhanced. Members include the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer and the national professional organizations involved in the delivery of radiation treatment in Canada: the Canadian Association of Radiation Oncology (CARO), the Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists (COMP), and the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists (CAMRT).

“This guidance document provides an important foundation in the development of tools that will provide information about indicators of quality to help the radiation community assure the highest quality and safest treatment for Canadians,” added Dr. Heather Bryant, Vice President, Cancer Control at the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer.