We know that cancer treatment decisions can feel overwhelming for people, so ASTRO has recently launched a new online public education campaign, Radiation Therapy in Focus (RT in Focus). RT in Focus is a multi-pronged online effort to inform people who receive a diagnosis of cancer about the benefits of radiation therapy and help them make informed treatment decisions.
Below, find more details about the strategy behind the campaign and resources available for you and your patients.
Poll: Radiation Therapy Knowledge and Sentiment
We first started with a consumer survey to inform what people knew about radiation therapy. People said they felt less informed about radiation therapy than other cancer treatment options, including surgery and systemic therapy. Just over half of the respondents said they knew that radiation can cure certain types of cancer, but more than a third said they were unsure of this fact.
These findings highlighted the need for clearer, more accessible education about radiation therapy, shaping the campaign’s focus on addressing gaps in understanding and dispelling common misconceptions.
Campaign Strategy
The campaign is built around the theme: Radiation Therapy in Focus. It is designed to help people understand what radiation therapy is and who radiation oncologists are, as well as to answer the array of questions and concerns that people have about being treated for cancer.
The campaign recognized that for patients, cancer can be overwhelming — but cancer treatment shouldn’t be. The campaign materials work to demystify radiation therapy and emphasize its value as an essential, effective and often life-saving option for cancer.
Campaign Resources
We encourage you and your patients to visit ASTRO’s patient education website, RTAnswers, to view the new campaign.
Available resources include:
- Video interviews with ASTRO-member radiation oncologists who discuss the science behind radiation therapy, and RT patients who share their impactful treatment experiences
- Printable handout with answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about radiation therapy
- Fact vs. Fiction quiz where people can assess their radiation therapy knowledge
- Educational content highlighting the facts about radiation therapy
Visitors to RTAnswers will also find ASTRO’s other patient education materials, including videos, brochures and our "Ask a Radiation Oncologist" series.
The campaign is being promoted online via the Google search engine and on social media channels including Instagram, Facebook and Reddit. We encourage you to bookmark the RTAnswers.org website as you discuss treatments with your patients and share the website with them so they can view all the information available.
As a result of the campaign, traffic to the RTAnswers website has tripled. Hundreds of people downloaded the FAQs document and spent time exploring the content. The RTAnswers landing page had more than 35,000 visitors during the last seven weeks, which far exceeds normal traffic.
We invite your feedback. Please contact me with comments, questions and suggestions and watch for phase two of this campaign later this year.
