Underuse of radiation therapy in cancer treatment a concern

Many cancer patients in Australia and New Zealand continue to miss out on radiation therapy in their treatment.

According to new data¹ presented at the 70th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) in Auckland today, only 25 per cent of cancer patients in NSW received radiation therapy compared to the optimal rate of 45 per cent.

This matches previous data for New Zealand which shows that less than a third of patients will actually receive radiation therapy², despite half being likely to benefit from having it at some time during their cancer experience³.

Lead researcher and radiation oncologist Dr Roya Merie said: “These figures concerningly show that use of radiation therapy is well below the optimal figure in treating cancer effectively.

“This deficit has significant negative impacts on patient outcomes and it is important that strategies to overcome such shortfalls are developed to improve radiation therapy use and ensure patients receive the most appropriate treatment for them.”
For more information on the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists’ 70th Annual Scientific Meeting or to review the program visit http://www.ranzcr2019.com

References:

1. R Merie, G Gabriel, J Shafiq, S Vinod, M Barton, G Delaney. Radiotherapy underutilisation in New South Wales, Australia and its impact on local control and survival.
2. Barton M., Jacob S., Shafig J., Wong K., Thompson S., Hanna T., Delaney G. National & International Benchmarks set following study of delivery of Radiotherapy Services: ‘Review of Radiotherapy Optimal Utilisation Rates’. Collaboration for Cancer Outcomes Research and Evaluation (CCORE), Liverpool Hospital, Sydney, Australia, 2013: p6.
3. Gabriel G, Barton M, Delaney G.Does travel distance affect radiotherapy utilisation in NSW and the ACT?Presentation at 2014 Innovations in Cancer Treatment and Care Conference.