ESTRO 2024 - Abstract Book

S2684

Interdisciplinary - Education in radiation therapy

ESTRO 2024

1812

Mini-Oral

Impact of radiotherapy clinical trial participation and quality assurance on head and neck practice

Justine Tyler 1 , Helen Baines 1 , Catharine Clark 2,3,4 , Hannah Eyles 1 , Elizabeth Miles 5 , Zohal Nabi 5 , Rita Simoes 2 , Amanda Webster 2 1 The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, National Radiotherapy Trials Quality Assurance Group (RTTQA), London, United Kingdom. 2 University College London Hospital (UCLH) NHS Foundation Trust, National Radiotherapy Trials Quality Assurance Group (RTTQA), London, United Kingdom. 3 University College London Hospital (UCLH) NHS Foundation Trust, Radiotherapy Physics, London, United Kingdom. 4 University College London, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, London, United Kingdom. 5 Mount Vernon Hospital, National Radiotherapy Trials Quality Assurance Group (RTTQA), Northwood, United Kingdom

Purpose/Objective:

Radiotherapy trial quality assurance (RTQA) is well-established and required to ensure good outcomes to clinical trials 1-8 . However, the usefulness of RTQA and the impact of trial participation on implementing new techniques and changing standard practice is not well explored 9 . At the time of this study there were several head and neck cancer (HNC) trials running concurrently in the UK, which led to the introduction of RTQA streamlining to reduce associated workload. Therefore, there was an opportunity to develop a HNC trial questionnaire with the aim of assessing how useful centres perceived RTQA to be and the impact of trial participation on clinical practice.

Material/Methods:

The questionnaire was developed and tested prior to circulating via Survey Monkey® in 2019 to clinicians, physicists, dosimetrists and radiation therapists at 55 centres. It covered all aspects of the radiotherapy and RTQA process, including pre-treatment imaging, target and OAR delineation, planning, treatment delivery and verification, technique development, RTQA streamlining and dosimetry audit. Eight HNC trials were included that were either currently recruiting or had recently finished recruiting, plus an option for ‘other HNC trials’. There were multiple choice answers with space for comments. Multiple responses from a single centre were not merged as perspectives within a centre may vary. Comments were classified as positive, neutral or negative.

Results:

There were 52 responses from 39 centres (71% of centres contacted). Many comments (273) were received, 50% were positive, 48% were neutral and 2% were negative. The comments appreciated trial participation and RTQA for ensuring quality, accelerating change, implementing change safely, improving staff collaboration, supporting small centres, comparing procedures, standardisation and improving staff retention. Other factors were acknowledged that did not favour trial participation, such as lack of resources/capacity, perceived greater influence of national guidelines and decreased benefit to ‘early-adopter’ centres.