Belarus said Tuesday that the country's National Research Center for Oncology and Medical Radiology and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will launch a joint radiological audit in 12 countries.

This project will study radiotherapy practices in Eastern European and Central Asian countries. Over the course of their observations, recommendations will be made to improve the quality in their methods, so that both organizations can address where equipment is lacking and produce a protocol of treatment that is unified. The results of the study are expected to be useful to international organizations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ESTRO).

“The contract on implementing the project has been signed in December this year. The first stage of the project is to be completed next year," Valery Sinaiko, head of the oncology center's Radiology Department, said. "The contract can be extended for the period needed to complete the entire project and to fulfill the recommendations on the quality improvement."

Radiotherapy is an alternative to chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer, utilizing ionizing radiation to kill malignant cells.