ESTRO 2023

Session Item

Sunday

May 14

15:15 - 16:15

Stolz 2

Patient and public perspective

Chair: , Ireland;

Chair: Sairanne Wickers, United Kingdom

Session Type: Mini-Oral

Track: Interdisciplinary

Journey:

Patients’ needs in Proton Therapy: a survey among 10 European Facilities

Daniela Alterio, Italy

Presentation Number: MO-0558

Abstract

Abstract Title:

Patients’ needs in Proton Therapy: a survey among 10 European Facilities

Authors:

Giovanni Carlo Mazzola¹, Luca Bergamaschi¹, Cristiana Pedone¹, Maria Giulia Vincini¹, Matteo Pepa¹, Mattia Zaffaroni¹, Stefania Volpe¹, Jérôme Doyen², Piero Fossati³, Karin Haustermans⁴, Morten Høyer⁵, Johannes Albertus Langendijk⁶, Raul Matute⁷, Ester Orlandi⁸, Hillevi Rylander⁹, Barbara Rombi¹⁰, Esther Troost¹¹, Roberto Orecchia¹, Daniela Alterio¹, Barbara Alicja Jereczek-Fossa^1,12

¹European Institute of Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Milan, Italy; ²Centre Antoine Lacassagne, Radiation Oncology, Nice, France; ³MedAustron Ion Therapy Center, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Wiener Neustadt, Austria; ⁴PARTICLE proton therapy center, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; ⁵Danish Centre for Particle Therapy, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; ⁶University Medical Center Groningen, Radiation Oncology, Groningen, The Netherlands; ⁷Centro de Protonterapia Quironsalud, Radiation Oncology, Madrid, Spain; ⁸Italian National Center for Oncological Hadrontherapy, Radiation Oncology, Pavia, Italy; ⁹Skandionkliniken proton facility, Radiation Oncology, Uppsala, Sweden; ¹⁰Proton Therapy Center, Radiation Oncology, Trento, Italy; ¹¹Institute of Radiooncology - OncoRay, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Rossendorf, Germany; ¹²University of Milan, Oncology and Emato-Oncology, Milan, Italy

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Purpose or Objective

The number of Proton Therapy (PT) facilities is still limited worldwide, and the access to treatment could be characterized by patients’ logistic and economic challenges. Aim of the present survey was to assess the support provided to patients undergoing PT across Europe.

Material and Methods

Through a personnel contact, an online questionnaire (62 multiple-choice and open-ended questions) via Microsoft Forms was distributed to ten European PT centres. The questionnaire consisted of 62 questions divided into six sections: i) personal data; ii) general information on clinical activity; iii) fractionation, concurrent systemic treatments and technical aspects of PT facility; iv) indication to PT and reimbursement policies; v) economic and/ or logistic support to patients vi) participants agreement on statements related to the possible limitation of access to PT. A qualitative analysis was performed and reported.

Results

From March to May 2022, all ten involved centres completed the survey. Nine centres treat between 100 and 500 patients per year. Paediatric patients account for 10-30%, 30-50% and 50-70% of the entire cohort for 7, 2 and 1 centres, respectively. The most frequent tumours treated in the adult population are brain tumours, sarcomas and head and neck carcinomas; in all centres, the mean duration of PT is longer than 3 weeks. In 80% of cases, the treatment reimbursement for PT is supplied by the respective country’s Health National System (HNS). HNS also provides economic support to patients in 70% of centres, while logistic and meal support is provided in 20% and 40% of centres, respectively. PT facilities offer economic and/or logistic support in 90% of the cases. Logistic support for parents of paediatric patients is provided by HNS only in one-third of centres. Overall, 70% of respondents agree that geographic challenges may limit a patient’s access to proton facilities and 60% believe that additional support should be given to patients referred for PT care. A graphical representation of the answers was reported in Table 1.

Conclusion

There are relevant differences among European countries in supporting patients referred to PT in their logistic and economic challenges. Further efforts should be made by HNSs and PT facilities to reduce the risk of inequities in access to cancer care with protons