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Title: Patterns of Radiation Therapy Practice for Patients Treated for Intact Cervical Cancer in 2005 to 2007: A Quality Research in Radiation Oncology Study

Abstract

Purpose: To assess practice patterns and compliance with clinical performance measures for radiation therapy (RT) for patients with intact carcinoma of the cervix. Methods and Materials: Trained research associates reviewed the records of 261 randomly selected patients who received RT for cervix carcinoma between 2005 and 2007 from 45 facilities randomly selected after stratification by practice type. National estimates of patient and treatment characteristics were calculated from survey data using SUDAAN statistical software. Results: From the survey data, we estimated that only 8% of US facilities treated on average more than 3 eligible patients per year. No small or medium nonacademic facilities in the survey treated more than 3 eligible patients per year. Approximately 65.5% of patients began treatment in a facility that treated 3 or fewer eligible patients per year. Although 87.5% of patients had brachytherapy as part of their treatment, the proportion treated with external beam RT only was about double that estimated from the 1996 to 1999 survey. The use of high-dose-rate brachytherapy sharply increased, particularly in small nonacademic facilities. Overall, patients treated in nonacademic facilities were more likely to have incomplete or protracted treatment; 43% of patients treated in small nonacademic facilities did not have treatmentmore » completed within 10 weeks. Also, patients treated in facilities that treated 3 or fewer eligible patients per year were significantly less likely to receive concurrent chemotherapy than were patients treated in other facilities. Conclusion: Survey results indicate a disturbingly high rate of noncompliance with established criteria for high-quality care of patients with cervical cancer. Noncompliance rates are particularly high in nonacademic facilities, especially those that treat relatively few patients with intact cervical cancer.« less

Authors:
;  [1];  [2];  [1]
  1. American College of Radiology Clinical Research Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (United States)
  2. Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22416570
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 89; Journal Issue: 2; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2014 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0360-3016
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE; BRACHYTHERAPY; CARCINOMAS; CHEMOTHERAPY; DOSE RATES; PATIENTS; QUALITY ASSURANCE; REVIEWS

Citation Formats

Eifel, Patricia J., E-mail: peifel@mdanderson.org, Ho, Alex, Khalid, Najma, Erickson, Beth, and Owen, Jean. Patterns of Radiation Therapy Practice for Patients Treated for Intact Cervical Cancer in 2005 to 2007: A Quality Research in Radiation Oncology Study. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.1016/J.IJROBP.2013.11.228.
Eifel, Patricia J., E-mail: peifel@mdanderson.org, Ho, Alex, Khalid, Najma, Erickson, Beth, & Owen, Jean. Patterns of Radiation Therapy Practice for Patients Treated for Intact Cervical Cancer in 2005 to 2007: A Quality Research in Radiation Oncology Study. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IJROBP.2013.11.228
Eifel, Patricia J., E-mail: peifel@mdanderson.org, Ho, Alex, Khalid, Najma, Erickson, Beth, and Owen, Jean. 2014. "Patterns of Radiation Therapy Practice for Patients Treated for Intact Cervical Cancer in 2005 to 2007: A Quality Research in Radiation Oncology Study". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IJROBP.2013.11.228.
@article{osti_22416570,
title = {Patterns of Radiation Therapy Practice for Patients Treated for Intact Cervical Cancer in 2005 to 2007: A Quality Research in Radiation Oncology Study},
author = {Eifel, Patricia J., E-mail: peifel@mdanderson.org and Ho, Alex and Khalid, Najma and Erickson, Beth and Owen, Jean},
abstractNote = {Purpose: To assess practice patterns and compliance with clinical performance measures for radiation therapy (RT) for patients with intact carcinoma of the cervix. Methods and Materials: Trained research associates reviewed the records of 261 randomly selected patients who received RT for cervix carcinoma between 2005 and 2007 from 45 facilities randomly selected after stratification by practice type. National estimates of patient and treatment characteristics were calculated from survey data using SUDAAN statistical software. Results: From the survey data, we estimated that only 8% of US facilities treated on average more than 3 eligible patients per year. No small or medium nonacademic facilities in the survey treated more than 3 eligible patients per year. Approximately 65.5% of patients began treatment in a facility that treated 3 or fewer eligible patients per year. Although 87.5% of patients had brachytherapy as part of their treatment, the proportion treated with external beam RT only was about double that estimated from the 1996 to 1999 survey. The use of high-dose-rate brachytherapy sharply increased, particularly in small nonacademic facilities. Overall, patients treated in nonacademic facilities were more likely to have incomplete or protracted treatment; 43% of patients treated in small nonacademic facilities did not have treatment completed within 10 weeks. Also, patients treated in facilities that treated 3 or fewer eligible patients per year were significantly less likely to receive concurrent chemotherapy than were patients treated in other facilities. Conclusion: Survey results indicate a disturbingly high rate of noncompliance with established criteria for high-quality care of patients with cervical cancer. Noncompliance rates are particularly high in nonacademic facilities, especially those that treat relatively few patients with intact cervical cancer.},
doi = {10.1016/J.IJROBP.2013.11.228},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22416570}, journal = {International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics},
issn = {0360-3016},
number = 2,
volume = 89,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 2014},
month = {Sun Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 2014}
}