ESTRO 2024 - Abstract Book

S2764

Interdisciplinary - Health economics & health services research

ESTRO 2024

Despite healthcare systems around the world have experienced significant disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic, data from our tertiary cancer center showed that clinical trial activities were maintained at a high level during the pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19, Trial Recruitment, Solid Tumors

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Mini-Oral

Development of an Optimal Radiotherapy Utilisation Rate for Older Patients with Head and Neck Cancer

Penny Mackenzie 1,2,3 , Claire Vajdic 4 , Geoff Delaney 2,3 , Tracy Comans 5 , Meera Agar 6 , Gabriel Gabriel 2,3 , Michael Barton 2,3 1 The Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Cancer Care Services, Brisbane, Australia. 2 The University of New South Wales, South West Sydney Clinical School, Sydney, Australia. 3 Collaboration for Cancer Outcomes, Research & Evaluation (CCORE), The Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Sydney, Australia. 4 The University of New South Wales, The Kirby Insitute, Sydney, Australia. 5 The University of Queensland, Centre for Health Services Research, Brisbane, Australia. 6 The University of Technology, IMPACCT, Sydney, Australia

Purpose/Objective:

Older adults with cancer may have comorbidities which affect radiotherapy recommendations. We aimed to develop an age- and comorbidity-adjusted optimal radiotherapy utilisation (RTU) model and determine the tolerance and completion rate of radiotherapy in older patients with head and neck cancer.

Material/Methods:

New South Wales Cancer Registry records (2010-2014) linked to radiotherapy (2010-2015) and hospitalisation records (2008-2015) were used to determine the number of patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer. These population-level estimates, in addition to a comorbidity-specific cut-off, were incorporated into an established head and neck cancer decision tree model to calculate the optimal RTU, for patients of all ages and those aged 80+ years. The actual RTU was also calculated using the linked datasets. For treatment tolerance, the radiotherapy dose for each age group and the completion rate for a seven week, 70 Gray (Gy) course of curative intent radiotherapy was computed. The number of emergency department (ED) presentations was used as a surrogate measure of acute treatment toxicity for patients receiving 70Gy.

Results:

Of the 5966 patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer, 814 (13.6%) were aged 80+ years. For all age groups, the actual RTU was less than the optimal RTU. The age- and comorbidity-adjusted optimal RTU for patients aged 80+