ESTRO 2025 - Abstract Book

S108

Invited Speaker

ESTRO 2025

challenges where symptomatic patients may experience prolonged wait times, extra imaging needs (e.g. intra venous contrast) or breath hold techniques.

Advanced technology is already integrated into many standard of care palliative processes, for example stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in brain metastasis, stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in spine metastases, and in symptomatic advanced pancreas cancer, advanced techniques have enabled the use of single fraction SRS to the celiac plexus yielding significant improvement in pain and quality of life for patients. Furthermore, the integration of “sim-free” models of care which incorporate diagnostic CT-based radiation planning or fast workflows, have enabled considerable time savings for patients without compromise of symptomatic outcome.

There is a fine balance between effective and efficient treatments and the additional requirements on patients for successful delivery, thus posing the question ‘Are advanced technological solutions worth the hassle?’

4824

Speaker Abstracts Influencing policy: Building the investment case for radiotherapy Ajay Aggarwal Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom. Department of Oncology, Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom

Abstract:

As European government budgets are increasingly displaced towards defense spending the opportunity for increasing health expenditures is becoming increasingly limited and in real terms likely to decrease. This new financial reality, means we need to take a more health systems approach to what innovation we integrate into the cancer service. Specifically we have a responsibility to avoid the hype cycle for new innovation, where limited budgets are spent on technologies and techniques for which there is no clear evidence that they enable patients to live better and longer compared to existing standards of care, or that they deliver substantial efficiencies regarding treatment times for instance. A new value driven approach is needed where innovation needs to meet unmet need, is robustly evaluated using a broad range of high quality evidence to show meaningful improvements in patient outcomes, efficiency, or cost-effectiveness. In addition, the budget impact and health system effects of integrating new technologies needs to be integral to this so that affordability and equity in access are considered upfront. Without this, the fiscal pressures mean improvements in outcome will likely to stagnate or other cancer related technologies such as pharmaceuticals will be given increasing prioritisation within health budgets.

4825

Speaker Abstracts Lean thinking in radiation oncology: What can we learn from the car industry? Marjolein van Os Department of Radiotherapy, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, Netherlands

Abstract: Lean thinking in radiation oncology: what can we learn from the car industry?

Lean thinking Lean thinking has proven to be an effective methodology for quality improvement.