S1326
Interdisciplinary - Education in radiation oncology
ESTRO 206
collaboration.Responses were analyzed descriptively using Microsoft Excel. Likert-scale items (1–5) were grouped to represent levels of exposure or adequacy. Data were exported from Google Forms. Results: A total of 152 professionals participated, with the highest response rates from Serbia (29), Romania (17), and Albania (16). Most respondents were radiation oncologists (79) or residents (33), and 59% had more than five years of professional experience. Although 43.6% reported that over three-quarters of their training was dedicated to radiotherapy, only 26% rated their education in radiation physics and radiobiology as very good or excellent. Contouring and planning education was rated as poor by 18%, while 74% indicated that limited equipment access negatively affected their training. Nearly all respondents (95%) supported regional collaboration, and 80% expressed willingness to actively participate in joint projects. Respondents also reported limited exposure to key modern radiotherapy techniques, as shown in the figure below, with 49.3% reporting low experience with SBRT and 48.5% with adaptive RT, while image-guided RT and brachytherapy exposure were also suboptimal. Figure 1. Self-reported experience (1 = no exposure; 5 = fully competent) Conclusion: This first regional survey reveals widespread inequities in radiotherapy training and access across South-East Europe. The findings underscore the urgency of establishing regional training hubs, harmonizing curricula, and promoting international mentorship. This initiative marks the beginning of RISING-RO, a youth-led collaborative platform emerging from South-East Europe to address inequalities, promote innovation in education and training, and advocate for a more equitable future in radiation oncology. References: 1. European Commission. Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan. Brussels: Publications Office of the European Union; 2021. Available from: https://health.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2022 02/eu_c ancer-plan_en_0.pdf2. Lievens Y, Ricardi U, Poortmans P, Verellen D, Gasparotto C, Verfaillie C, et al. Radiation Oncology. Optimal Health for All, Together. ESTRO vision, 2030. Radiother Oncol. 2019 July 1;136:86–97.3. Atalar B, Mastroleo F, Zaffaroni M, et al. Understanding National Societies’ Needs
Mini-Oral 1468
Mapping inequities in radiotherapy training and access across South-East Europe: insights from RISING-RO Milos Grujic 1,2 , Neda Milosavljevic 1,2 , Fatjona Kraja 3,4 , Amil Druzic 5 , Ivica Ratosa 6,7 , Gordana Petkovska 8 , Damir Vucinic 9 , Iosif Strouthos 10 , Marija Zivkovic Radojevic 1,2 1 Department of Clinical Oncology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kragujevac, Serbia. 2 Center for Radiation Oncology, University Clinical Centar Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia. 3 Surgery Department, University of Medicine, Tirana, Albania. 4 Clinical / Radiation Oncologist, UHC “Mother Teresa”, Tirana, Albania. 5 Oncology Clinic, Clinical Center University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. 6 Division of Radiation Oncology, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia. 7 Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia. 8 Department of radiotherapy, University Clinic for Radiotherapy and Oncology, Skopje, North Macedonia, Republic of. 9 Department of radiotherapy, Special Hospital Radiochirurgia Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia. 10 Department of Radiation Oncology, University Clinic of European University Cyprus, German Oncology Center, Limassol, Cyprus Purpose/Objective: Persistent disparities in radiotherapy education and access to advanced technologies continue to compromise the quality and equity of cancer care across Europe, with lower-resourced regions such as South-East Europe (SEE) particularly affected [1,2]. While ESTRO’s 2024 survey of national societies identified strong demand for guidelines, training, and youth engagement, detailed regional data from SEE remain scarce [3]. In response, a group of young oncology professionals established RISING-RO (Regional International Society of Innovative and Next-Generation Radiation Oncologists) — a youth-led, collaborative initiative aiming to empower professionals across SEE and address systemic inequalities. As its first milestone, RISING-RO conducted a cross-border needs assessment to map training quality, access to advanced technologies, and potential for regional collaboration. Material/Methods: A structured online survey consisting of 23 questions, including multi-part items, was distributed between May and July 2025 among radiation oncology professionals from14 South-East European countries. The questionnaire covered training quality, exposure to modern radiotherapy techniques, equipment access, and views on cross-border
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