Considering late effects costs in radiotherapy funding

Abstract

Radiotherapy treatment can have transformative effects on a patient's overall health and wellbeing, yet current funding models are constrained to curative and palliative aspects of treatment delivery. This therapeutic focus, obscures wider costs associated with radiotherapy, both at a service level and for individual patients and their families. It is essential that policy and services consider quality of life after treatment, including identification and management of long-term side effects. Currently, a lack of service provision means that many patients have no access to services equipped to manage late toxicity or are utilising inappropriate services for their needs which could also be more costly for commissioners. As Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) take greater responsibility for the whole cancer pathway there are potential patient and cost benefits of rolling out more supportive oncology and late effects services. This should be supported with better data, including Patient Reported Data (PRD) and research on the level of need for broader aspects of radiotherapy and post treatment aspects of patient experience.

Keywords: PREMs; PROMs; cancer side effects; late effects; living with and beyond cancer; radiotherapy; supportive oncology.