ESTRO 2026 Congress Report I RTT Track
The symposium, Co-creating Care: When Patients and Providers Decide Together, highlighted the growing importance of patient partnership, shared decision-making (SDM), and patient and public involvement (PPI) within radiotherapy and cancer care. Across all presentations and the concluding panel discussion, a clear message emerged: high-quality cancer care must move beyond treatment delivery alone to actively involve patients as equal partners throughout their care, research, education, and service development.
The opening presentation by Joanna McNamara from RadChat highlighted what matters most to patients during and after cancer treatment, complemented by powerful patient testimonials that provided valuable insights into lived experiences. Key themes included the emotional impact of diagnosis, treatment preparation, rehabilitation, and the challenges many patients face following treatment completion. The session reinforced the importance of continuity of care, psychological support, and ensuring cancer services focus not only on treating disease, but also on supporting the person living through the experience.
Dr Anniek van Hienen explored the current limitations of SDM within radiotherapy practice. Her research demonstrated that many patients still do not feel fully informed, supported, or actively involved in decisions regarding their care. Barriers discussed included time pressures, health literacy, clinician communication skills, and difficulties embedding SDM into routine clinical workflows. Dr. van Hienen also presented work from Maastro, where patients and clinicians collaborate to co-design SDM interventions that support implementation in practice. A key message was that meaningful and sustainable implementation requires active involvement from both patients and healthcare professionals throughout the design and implementation process.
The final presentation by Dr Claire Poole focused on the future of patient voice and PPI within radiation oncology. Using the analogy of a car journey, she described the evolving role of patients in healthcare: from passive passengers to co-pilots involved in research, and ultimately towards patients being placed in the driving seat of their care, research, and service development. She emphasised that patients should be recognised as equal partners, with lived experience valued alongside professional expertise. Dr Poole highlighted the importance of moving beyond tokenistic involvement towards authentic and sustained partnership by integrating patients into leadership, education, governance, and co-design processes. Examples demonstrated how patient involvement can strengthen cancer care planning, broaden perspectives, and identify gaps within services that healthcare professionals may otherwise overlook.
The concluding panel discussion reinforced that the future of radiation oncology should increasingly empower patients to shape decisions, services, research, and innovation, ensuring it remains compassionate, responsive, and truly patient-centred.
Dr Claire Poole, PhD
Assistant Professor and Director of Clinical Education
Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin
Discipline of Radiation Therapy
Trinity Centre for Health Sciences
St. James’s Hospital
Dublin, Ireland
From left to right: Gunvor Dichmann Thyssen (Chair), Anniek van Hienen, Joanna McNamara, Claire Poole, Nicola Iosca (Chair)