ESTRO 2021 Abstract Book

S1224

ESTRO 2021

PO-1493 Opening the angle: the role played by National Societies for Radiation Oncology during the COVID-19 J. Prades 1 , J.M. Borras 2 , J. Bibault 3,4 , C. Grau 5 , B.A. Jereczek-Fossa 6,7 , M. Lambrecht 8 , B.J. Slotman 9 , E.G. Troost 10,11,12,13,14 , Y. Lievens 15 1 Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), Catalan Cancer Strategy, Barcelona, Spain; 2 University of Barcelona , Faculty of Medicine, Clinical Sciences, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain; 3 Georges Pompidou European Hospital, Radiation Oncology , Paris, France; 4 Paris Descartes University, Paris Sorbonne Cité, Paris, France; 5 Aarhus University Hospital, Department of Oncology and Danish Center for Particle Therapy, Aarhus, Denmark; 6 University of Milan, Department of Oncology and Hemato-oncology, Milan, Italy; 7 IEO European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Division of Radiotherapy, Milan, Italy; 8 University Hospitals Leuven, Leuvens kankerinstituut, Leuven, Belgium; 9 Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Radiation Oncology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; 10 National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany; 11 Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Dresden, Germany; 12 Institute of Radiooncology – OncoRay, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany; 13 German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Dresden, Germany; 14 Partner Site Dresden, Germany: German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg, Germany; 15 Ghent University Hospital and Ghent University, Radiation Oncology, Ghent, Belgium Purpose or Objective While coping with COVID-19 pandemic, the whole provision of healthcare services had to be adapted to the suddenly emerging needs. We aimed to understand the role that European National Societies (NS) for Radiation Oncology (RO) played in this context in order to understand how they addressed such a serious challenge and learn about the critical aspects they may prepare for in the future. Materials and Methods An on-line survey developed by ESTRO’s HERO group and the NS Committee targeted the representatives of NS of Radiation Oncology of all 40 European countries (open from Oct-2020 to Jan-2021). The survey consisted of 25 questions that covered 3 topics: (1) COVID-19 outbreak: how the NS reacted; (2) changes in clinical protocols; and (3) the role played by NS as strategic partners for RO departments. The questions provided respondents with predefined answer options to choose from. Six clinicians, core representatives of the ESTRO governance and of the NS Committee, validated the survey prior to its distribution. Results Twenty-six out of 40 countries completed the survey. The main results are shown following the 3 topics: Topic 1 . Nearly two-thirds of NS made specific recommendations in order to help its members manage the crisis-related challenges. Of these, more than half (53%) were developed by the society itself, made immediately (no later than April, 2020) (57%), were specific in regard to the “operational changes to minimise risk of exposure to COVID-19” (50%), and applied in “most of RO departments” of the country in question or in “a significant part” of them (38% and 15%, respectively). The crisis management within RO departments followed a mix of NS and health authorities’ recommendations (92%), and in only two countries was purely hospital-based. Topic 2 . 42% of NS endorsed specific clinical guidelines to adapt the radiotherapy practice to the crisis while another 38% provided a general framework (e.g. “increase hypofractionated treatments”). For the main cancer types, evidence-based radiation treatments were not canceled, and whenever this happened, it was for both prostate and breast cancer (15% of respondents stressed it). Half of respondents observed an important increase in hypofractionated regimens for breast cancer, 34% for prostate and 15% for rectum and lung cancers (see figure 1). Topic 3 . An 80% of respondents indicated that teleconsultations were implemented due to the pandemic and only 12% consider that these will be limited to the crisis. When asked on the role to be played by ESTRO, further recommendations in case of a pandemic should be ensured (73% of respondents) and promoting benchmarking would be advisable (65%).