Introduction

On 17 July 2026, the international brachytherapy community celebrated the second Brachytherapy Awareness Day to increase the visibility of brachytherapy and reaffirm its essential role in modern cancer care. The campaign brought together professionals from around the world to demonstrate that brachytherapy remains one of the most precise, effective and innovative radiation treatment modalities available. Through a coordinated communication strategy, participants collectively promoted its value and benefits for patients.

 

Why Social Media?

Social media, particularly LinkedIn, was chosen as the cornerstone of the campaign because it provides a unique opportunity to reach both the scientific community and the wider healthcare ecosystem. It connects clinicians, researchers, medical physicists, radiation therapists (RTT), surgeons, medical oncologists, healthcare institutions, policymakers and patient organisations on a single platform.

At a time when brachytherapy faces declining utilisation in many countries despite strong scientific evidence and international guideline recommendations, increasing its visibility has become a strategic priority. Social media enables us to communicate not only scientific evidence but also innovation, multidisciplinary collaboration and, above all, the real-world benefits of brachytherapy. By sharing a common message on the same day, we amplified our collective voice far beyond what individual institutions could achieve alone.

 

Participation & Reach

The campaign received remarkable support from the international brachytherapy community. A key factor in its success was the strong commitment and active promotion by ESTRO, whose communication channels significantly amplified the campaign's visibility and impact. All GEC-ESTRO Working Groups participated, alongside numerous national societies, academic institutions, cancer centres and individual professionals worldwide. Extensive engagement through reposts, comments and discussions extended the campaign's reach well beyond the radiation oncology community and reinforced the value of the close collaboration between GEC-ESTRO and ESTRO.

 

Content Highlights

The campaign featured short videos, educational infographics, team photographs and clinician testimonials that generated considerable engagement. By bringing these contributions together under the common hashtag #BrachytherapyAwarenessDay, the initiative created a highly visible global conversation on LinkedIn. Posts highlighting multidisciplinary teamwork, technological innovation and patient-centred care showcased the broad scope of brachytherapy across multiple tumour sites. We encourage all ESTRO members to explore the #BrachytherapyAwarenessDay feed on LinkedIn to discover the inspiring contributions shared by colleagues worldwide.

 

Looking Ahead

Brachytherapy Awareness Day 2026 demonstrated the power of collective communication. Every post, video and testimonial contributed to raising awareness of brachytherapy and its benefits for patients. This initiative should serve as a catalyst for year-round advocacy. Together, by continuing to speak with one voice, we can ensure that brachytherapy receives the visibility and recognition it deserves, ultimately improving access to high-quality care for patients worldwide.

 

Stay tuned — World Radiotherapy Awareness Day is coming on 7 September 2026, and brachytherapy will once again make its voice heard.

 

Prof Jean-Michel Hannoun-Levi
Chair of the ESTRO Brachytherapy Committee

Antoine Lacassagne Cancer Centre - University Côte d’Azur

Nice, France