ESTRO 2024 - Abstract Book

S2776

Interdisciplinary - Health economics & health services research

ESTRO 2024

639

Digital Poster

Radiotherapy Services in the Philippines: Exploring Geographical Barriers to Improve Access to Care

Jerickson Abbie S. Flores 1,2,3 , Charles Cedy C. Lo 1 , John Michael P. Tomagan 1 , Jaffar C. Pineda 1,3 , Miriam Joy Calaguas 4 , Enrico D. Tangco 2 , Misael C. Cruz 2,3 , Edward Christopher Dee 5 , Jake John P. Galingana 1 , Eleanore S. Altubar 1 , Jhonatan B. Riparip 1 1 Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center, Department of Radiotherapy, Manila, Philippines. 2 The Medical City- Ortigas, Department of Radiation Oncology, Pasig, Philippines. 3 AC Sacred Heart Medical Center, Cancer Institute, Angeles, Philippines. 4 St. Luke's Medical Center, Department of Radiation Oncology, Quezon City, Philippines. 5 Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, Department of Radiation Oncology, New York, USA

Purpose/Objective:

Cancer is a global health challenge, and ensuring comprehensive cancer care is a priority for healthcare systems worldwide. Radiation therapy, a crucial component of cancer treatment, plays a pivotal role in both curative and palliative settings. However, in many regions, including the Philippines, significant gaps persist in the availability and accessibility of radiation therapy services. By analyzing the distribution of radiotherapy facilities, equipment, and human resources, this research aims to highlight disparities, identify gaps, and provide a foundation for potential interventions to improve the radiotherapy landscape in the country. The lack of documented statistics regarding the distance, time, and transportation required to reach the nearest radiation therapy facility underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive assessment of the state of radiotherapy services in the Philippines.

Material/Methods:

Data pertaining to the infrastructure and human resources supporting Radiation Therapy (RT) delivery in the Philippines were collected from a variety of sources, including the Philippine Radiation Oncology Society (PROS), government health and statistics agencies in the Philippines, and the directory of radiotherapy centers provided by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). To assess the accessibility and availability of radiotherapy services, a geographic approach was adopted. Using web-based tools like Google Maps and rome2rio, this study cross referenced the gathered data to determine the nearest RT facility in each province. This analysis considered critical factors such as distance, estimated travel time, and the mode of transportation required to reach the nearest RT facility.

Results:

The Philippines has a total of 53 radiotherapy centers translating to 0.47 centers per 1 million Filipino, wherein 20 centers (37%) are located in the National Capital Region (NCR) and 33 (63%) centers distributed across the 82 provinces. These centers are equipped with a total of 61 linear accelerators (LINAC), 14 of which are stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and/or stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR)-capable and 26 brachytherapy suites.