ESTRO 2024 - Abstract Book

S2797

Interdisciplinary - Health economics & health services research

ESTRO 2024

Material/Methods:

A Google questionnaire aligned with the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) clinical practice guidelines for prostate cancer diagnosis, staging, and treatment was created and electronically distributed to healthcare professionals in the MENA region. The questionnaire contained inquiries about the approaches employed for prostate cancer assessment and treatment. It also assessed the accessibility of these methods in the participants' clinical settings.

Results:

Responses from 22 doctors across 11 different countries from the MENA region were received. These responses were from 9 (40.9%) medical oncologists, 4 (18.2%) radiation oncologists, 3 (13.6%) clinical oncologists, 1 (4.5%) surgical oncologist and 1 (4.5%) family doctor as well as 4 (18.2%) unknown specialties. Among these respondents, 9 (40.9%) doctors practiced in public hospitals, 8 (36.4%) in academic hospitals and 5 (22.7%) in private hospitals. Regarding diagnostic and staging methods utilized, the majority of respondents (N=15, 68.2%) reported the use of multiparametric MRI. A significant proportion of the respondents routinely perform transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsies (N=22, 90.9%), while 18 (81.8%) respondents reported employing bone scans for metastasis detection in patients with intermediate and high-risk prostate cancer. N=8 (36.4%) of the respondents use prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET as a routine staging modality (Figure 1). For the treatment of localized intermediate risk prostate cancer, 21 of 22 doctors (95.5%) offer at least one treatment that that is in agreement with international practice guidelines (radical prostatectomy ± pelvic lymph node dissection, (N=8, 38.1%) or radiotherapy ± androgen deprivation therapy (N=17, 80.9%). 3 out of 22 doctors (13.6%) offer at least one treatment that is not in agreement with international standards (e.g. androgen deprivation therapy alone). For localized high risk prostate cancer, 20 out of 22 doctors (90.9%) offer at least one treatment that that is in agreement with international practice guidelines including radiotherapy with androgen deprivation therapy (N=14, 70%) or radiotherapy, androgen deprivation therapy and abiraterone/docetaxel (N=9, 45%), radical prostatectomy ± pelvic lymph node dissection (N=2, 9%), 2 out of 22 (9%) offer at least one treatment that is not in agreement with international standards (androgen deprivation therapy alone (N=1, 16.6%) and brachytherapy alone (N=1, 16.6%)). Regarding the availability of treatment modalities, 20 (90.9%) respondents indicated access to radiotherapy, 4 (20%) have access to brachytherapy, 15 (75%) have access to advanced external beam radiotherapy techniques (volumetric modulated arc therapy, intensity-modulated radiotherapy) and 4 (18.2%) have access to robotic prostatectomy (Figure 2).