该项目在一定程度上是为了解决阿尔伯塔省放射治疗师不足的问题。预计未来八至十二年这一短缺将会加剧，因为该省的195位许可治疗师越来越多的人都退休了。肿瘤科主任Sandy McEwan表示，放射治疗师在为患者提供癌症治疗方面发挥至关重要的作用，这一作用越来越广泛，越来越趋向技术和临床。

The program was developed partly as a solution to address the shortage of radiation therapists in Alberta. That shortage is predicted to increase in the next eight to 12 years as more of the province’s 195 licensed therapists retire. Radiation therapists play a critical role in providing cancer treatment to patients, a role that is becoming broader and increasingly technical and clinical, says Sandy McEwan, chair of the Department of Oncology.