Radiotherapy therapy uses a controlled dose of radiation to kill cancer cells. It is a necessary treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer.

There are two types of radiotherapy – external beam radiation, which directs radiation beams from outside the body to the cervix, lymph nodes and other organs that need treatment. Secondly, there is interim beam radiation therapy, which is also known as brachytherapy and delivers radiation therapy directly to the tumour from inside a woman’s body.

While this treatment is lifesaving, many parts of the world have limited access. Most notably in low- and middle-income countries where the burden of cervical cancer is the highest. More than 300,000 women die from cervical cancer every year, which means thousands of lives could be saved if radiotherapy was made more widely available.