S1493
Interdisciplinary - Public engagement and visibility of radiotherapy
ESTRO 2026
Digital Poster 535 Public Awareness and Perceptions of Radiotherapy in LMICs: A Multistakeholder Survey Raouia Ben Amor 1,2 , Nejla Fourati 3 1 Radiation Oncology, Abderrahmen Mami Hospital, Ariana, Tunisia. 2 Faculty of medecine of Tunis, Tunis El manar University, Tunis, Tunisia. 3 Radiation Oncology, Habib Bourguiba Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia Purpose/Objective: Radiotherapy is a cornerstone of cancer treatment, yet public understanding remains limited compared with other modalities. Misconceptions may affect patient choices, policy priorities, and societal attitudes. Initiatives such as the annual Radiotherapy Awareness Day (RAD, September 7) seek to bridge this gap, but their impact remains unassessed. This study evaluated public knowledge, perceptions, and trust in radiotherapy, its visibility, and awareness of RAD in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Material/Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in September 2025 [t1] under the auspices of the Tunisian Society of Radiation Oncology (STOR). The questionnaire (25 items, six domains) was disseminated through professional networks and social media. It assessed respondents’ profiles and prior exposure to radiotherapy, knowledge and beliefs, visibility and communication, awareness of RAD, and open suggestions for improvement. Participation was open to all citizens regardless of professional background. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were performed. Results:
confused it with diagnostic imaging. Misunderstandings about side effects were also frequent, with 23.9% believing radiotherapy invariably causes severe toxicity. Nevertheless, most respondents (66.7%) recognized it as a cornerstone of cancer treatment. When asked to associate words with radiotherapy, participants most frequently cited “hope” (48.7%), “precision” (40.2%), and “efficacy” (31.6%), while negative terms such as “fatigue” (27.4%) and “toxicity” (22.2%) also emerged.In terms of public communication, 59.8% of respondents considered radiotherapy insufficiently explained, and 47.9% perceived it as poorly visible. Media representation was judged largely absent (32.5%) with only 20.5% perceiving it as positive.Key barriers included limited institutional communication (56.1%), confusion with other modalities (48.5%), and insufficient media coverage (48.5%). Prefered strategies to improve radiotherapy’s visibility varied widely among respondents (Figure 2)
. Awareness of RAD reached 82.6%, mainly through healthcare professionals (65.2%) and social media (52.2%). Respondents emphasized its role in informing the public (89.4%), reducing fears (69.7%), and highlighting patients’ experiences (47.7%). Conclusion: Despite relatively high awareness, misconceptions and limited visibility hinder radiotherapy’s public image in LMICs. RAD represents a valuable platform to educate, reduce fear, and humanize the field. Coordinated institutional efforts, healthcare professional engagement, and patient-centered storytelling through social media are key to strengthening trust and public understanding of radiotherapy. Keywords: Public perception-Radiotherapy awareness Digital Poster Highlight 600 Representation of Radiotherapy in Leading General Medicine Journals: A 25-Year Comparative Bibliometric Analysis (2000–2024)
A total of 132 responses were collected. While 42.4% were healthcare professionals, most came from non- medical sectors (Figure 1). Overall awareness was high, with 88.6% of participants reporting prior familiarity with radiotherapy; however, misconceptions persisted—over half (53.3%) of those unfamiliar
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