Practical radiation oncology
-
To highlight 5 interventions that patients should question, as part of the Choosing Wisely campaign. This initiative, led by the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation, fosters conversations between physicians and patients about treatments and tests that may be overused, unnecessary, or potentially harmful. ⋯ The ASTRO list for the Choosing Wisely campaign highlights radiation oncology interventions that should be discussed between physicians and patients before treatment is initiated. These 5 items provide opportunities to offer higher quality and less costly care.
-
Multicenter Study
Practice patterns of photon and proton pediatric image guided radiation treatment: results from an International Pediatric Research consortium.
Image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) has become common practice for both photon and proton radiation therapy, but there is little consensus regarding its application in the pediatric population. We evaluated clinical patterns of pediatric IGRT practice through an international pediatrics consortium comprised of institutions using either photon or proton radiation therapy. ⋯ Use of IGRT in children was prevalent at all consortium institutions. There was treatment site-specific variability in IGRT use and technique across institutions, although practices varied less at proton facilities. Despite use of IGRT, there was no consensus of optimum PTV margin by treatment site. Given the desire to restrict any additional radiation exposure in children to instances where the exposure is associated with measureable benefit, prospective studies are warranted to optimize IGRT protocols by modality and treatment site.
-
Comparative Study
The role of whole-brain radiation therapy after stereotactic radiation surgery for brain metastases.
The benefit of whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT) following stereotactic radiation surgery (SRS) for brain metastases is controversial. We conducted a systematic analysis of published literature to explore the outcome of brain metastases treated with SRS and WBRT versus SRS alone using PubMed and MEDLINE. Outcomes including survival, control, salvage therapy, and other quality of life measures were reported. ⋯ Our systematic analysis demonstrates that adjuvant WBRT following SRS for the treatment of oligometastases in the brain is more effective at controlling local and distant recurrence than SRS alone, but there is no apparent benefit for survival or symptomology. The proven cognitive decline and neurotoxicity present with WBRT should be weighed against the benefit of local control. Prognosis of brain metastasis is poor regardless of current treatment and further exploration for alternative adjuvant treatment for SRS is warranted.
-
The American Society of Clinical Oncology has recommended tailoring palliative cancer care (PCC) to the distinct and complex needs of advanced cancer patients. The Supportive and Palliative Radiation Oncology (SPRO) service was initiated July 2011 to provide dedicated palliative radiation oncology (RO) care to cancer patients. We used care providers' ratings to assess SPRO's impact on the quality of PCC and compared perceptions of PCC delivery among physicians practicing with and without a dedicated palliative RO service. ⋯ Clinicians indicated that SPRO improved the quality of PCC. Physicians practicing within this dedicated service rated their department's overall PCC quality higher than physicians practicing at academic centers without a dedicated service. These findings point to dedicated palliative RO services as a promising means of improving PCC quality.
-
This paper demonstrates how the communication patterns and protocol rigors of a methodology called crew resource management (CRM) can be adapted to a radiation oncology environment to create a culture of patient safety. CRM training was introduced to our comprehensive radiation oncology department in the autumn of 2009. With 34 full-time equivalent staff, we see 100-125 patients daily on 2 hospital campuses. We were assisted by a consulting group with considerable experience in helping hospitals incorporate CRM principles and practices. Implementation steps included developing change initiative skills for key leaders, providing training in teamwork and communications, creating site-specific tools for safety and efficiency, and collecting data to document results. ⋯ The rigor and standardization introduced into our practice, combined with the increase in communication and teamwork have improved both safety and efficiency while improving both staff and patient satisfaction. CRM principles are highly adaptable and applicable to the radiation oncology setting.