Has Radiotherapy Been Successfully Implemented in Alberta's Small Cities? A Review of Alberta's Regional Cancer Centre Network from 2010-2020

Abstract

The expansion of cancer services closer to home has become a major focus of publicly funded healthcare, with cancer organizations attempting to invest in smaller centers by integrating radiotherapy into these facilities. In Canada this has resulted in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta investing in 12 expanded regional centers over the past 20 years. Quebec, Manitoba and Nova Scotia have made similar investments. Alberta's three new centers opened in 2010, 2013 and 2021 (projected). This study examined improvements in wait times and patient throughput between 2010 and 2020, and highlighted strategies that will support the sustainability and growth of clinical activity through to 2030. Significant improvement in ready to treat wait times for radiotherapy have resulted from opening two centers, and the provincial throughput for patients requiring systemic or radiotherapy has gone up by 16%. A patient satisfaction survey demonstrated that rural patients are happy with their care and desire the provision of more of their cancer treatment closer to home. An expert panel provided recommendations on what needs to be done to stabilize recruitment and retention.

Keywords: care close to home; community cancer care; distributed radiotherapy.