ARTTICON 2025:
Report on the Indian Radiation Therapists’ Congress

 

Endorsed by ESTRO

            

From 12 to 14 September, Hyderabad hosted the 10th International & 29th National Conference of the Association of Radiation Therapists and Technologists of India (ARTTI), known as ARTTICON 2025. The conference, which was endorsed by ESTRO, was held under the theme “Harnessing Expertise in Radiotherapy: an RTT Perspective”. The event brought together experts from around the world and created a platform to share knowledge, clinical experiences, and advancements in radiation therapy.

 

All the attendees at ARTTICON 2025

 

The conference brought together more than 560 professionals, including radiation oncologists, medical physicists and, of course, radiation therapists (RTTs) from all over India. The atmosphere was marked by enthusiasm and a true spirit of sharing, and was supported by a high-level scientific programme that featured 22 lectures by invited speakers, 58 oral presentations, 20 posters, two panel discussions, and several industry presentations. The Gunilla C. Bentel Oration, which was delivered by Professor P. Vijay Anand Reddy (Apollo Cancer Centres, Hyderabad), was particularly inspiring. His lecture, The Meaning of Life is to Give Life a Meaning, left a profound impression on the audience.

 

Claudio Votta, chair of the ESTRO RTT Alliance, represented ESTRO

 

Claudio Votta, chair of the ESTRO RTT Alliance, highlighted the value of international collaboration as a driving force for the evolution of the RTT profession. In his first talk, he recalled ESTRO’s long-standing commitment to structured education, continuous innovation, and the creation of international collaboration models such as the RTT Alliance – key instruments to promote knowledge exchange, strengthen professional identity, and empower RTTs to take on leadership roles in research and clinical innovation. In his second lecture, he underlined the growing importance of online adaptive radiotherapy and how it is reshaping clinical practice as its use offers new opportunities to enhance RTTs’ competencies and strengthen their impact in modern cancer care.

Prakash Umbarkar, member of the ESTRO positioning and immobilisation focus group, shared selected highlights from the latest ESTRO Congress on advances in patient positioning and immobilisation. He emphasised the ongoing shift toward increasingly patient-centred approaches, in which comfort, precision, and innovation are combined. Through examples such as the use of open-face masks and the integration of surface-guided radiation therapy (SGRT), he demonstrated how the inflexibility of traditional systems can be overcome while maintaining high geometric accuracy and simultaneously enhancing the patient experience. He offered a clear and inspiring vision for the future of radiotherapy practice.

The panel discussions were highly engaging. The first, dedicated to women in radiotherapy, gave voice to experienced professionals who highlighted both challenges and opportunities for growth in the employment of women, and stressed the importance of inclusion and female leadership as essential for the future of the profession. The second panel, which was focused on the evolving role of RTTs, showed how advanced competencies, technological innovation, and leadership skills had become indispensable to meet the increasing responsibilities of clinical practice.

ARTTICON 2025 was not just a conference, but a true celebration of the growth of the Indian RTT Community. It offered a valuable opportunity for exchange, dialogue, and strengthening of ties between India and Europe. The event confirmed the value of international collaboration and paved the way toward a future of innovation, education, and shared leadership. The conference also highlighted the important role that RTTs play in using new technologies to improve patient care. Attendees left motivated by the focus on professional growth, teamwork, and the ability of RTTs to lead innovations that put patients first.

 

 

Prakash Umbarkar
Senior RTT, academic coordinator – ARTTI
Member of ESTRO positioning and immobilisation focus group
P.D. Hinduja Hospital Mumbai, India

 

Appari Sridhar

Founder & chairman, ARTTI

Scientific and organising chairman, ARTTICON-2025

 

Co-authors: Prakash Umbarkar, Appari Sridhar, Ashok Reddy, Ajeet Singh, Gurvinder Singh, George Biju, Mohan Pundalika, Sumit Sharma, Yogesh Ninawe, Unnati Shah, Kamal Kaushik