Estimation of an optimal utilisation rate for palliative radiotherapy in newly diagnosed cancer patients

Abstract

Aims: An optimal utilisation rate for palliative radiotherapy in newly diagnosed cancers will be useful in the planning and delivery of cancer services and has not been reported to date. The aim of this study was to estimate the proportion of new cases of cancer that should receive palliative radiotherapy as their first course of radiotherapy at some time during the course of their illness.

Materials and methods: A previously developed model depicting indications for radiotherapy was merged with Australian cancer epidemiological data and re-analysed to identify palliative or radical treatment end points. Palliative radiotherapy end points were further divided by treatment site. The optimal palliative radiotherapy utilisation rates were compared with actual radiotherapy utilisation data for newly diagnosed cancers.

Results: Fourteen per cent of all new cancer cases should optimally receive palliative radiotherapy as their first course of radiotherapy treatment. Comparisons with actual radiotherapy utilisation rates from New South Wales, Australia, show that for some common cancers, more newly diagnosed patients receive palliative radiotherapy as their first radiotherapy treatment than would be optimally recommended in this model. This suggests that many patients in New South Wales are not currently being referred for curative treatment.

Conclusion: Palliative radiotherapy is optimally recommended as the first course of radiotherapy in 14% of all newly diagnosed cancers.