ESTRO 2025 - Abstract Book

S2293

Interdisciplinary – Health economics & health services research

ESTRO 2025

Increased pruritis was observed in the Mepitel® group during PMRT (28/30 versus 21/30; p=0.02). Other acute toxicities were similar between groups, during and after PMRT. Poor Mepitel® adherence led to discontinuation in 10% (3/30) of patients, while no compliance issues were reported with StrataXRT®. Conclusion: Mepitel® resulted in a lower total cost per patient compared to StrataXRT® in the PMRT setting, whilst providing a comparable toxicity profile. However, Mepitel® was associated with more pruritus, and there were some issues with skin adherence. The increased nursing time required for PMRT Mepitel® administration may impact resource allocation to the detriment of other tumour sites. Further studies are recommended to evaluate resource allocation for radiotherapy at a departmental level.

Keywords: radiotherapy, Mepitel, cost

References: 1.

Herst PM, Bennett NC, Sutherland AE, Peszynski RI, Paterson DB, Jasperse ML. Prophylactic use of Mepitel Film prevents radiation-induced moist desquamation in an intra-patient randomised controlled clinical trial of 78 breast cancer patients. Radiother Oncol. 2014 Jan;110(1):137-43. doi: 10.1016/j.radonc.2014.01.005 2. Benstead K, Spencer S, Foroudi F, Ho H, Kai C, Mario G, Lapuz C, Ng M, Wada M, Chao M. StrataXRT is as effective as Mepitel Film in reducing the incidence of moist desquamation in breast cancer patients undergoing post-mastectomy radiotherapy. Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Oncology. 2019 Vol 63(S1):87

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Digital Poster Assessing Financial and Logistical Challenges of Proton Therapy: Insights from Patient-Reported Outcomes in Italy Federico Mastroleo 1,2 , Gaia Piperno 1 , Annamaria Ferrari 1 , Giulia Marvaso 1,2 , Luca Bergamaschi 1 , Giovanni Carlo Mazzola 1 , Samantha Dicuonzo 1 , Stefania Volpe 1,2 , Costantino Putzu 1,2 , Roberto Orecchia 3 , Daniela Alterio 1 , Barbara Alicja Jerczek-Fossa 1,2 1 Division of Radiation Oncology, IEO European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy. 2 Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy. 3 Scientific Directorate, IEO European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy Purpose/Objective: Proton therapy (PT) represents a cutting-edge modality in cancer treatment, offering significant clinical benefits for select patient populations. However, access to this advanced technology often entails financial and logistical challenges, particularly for patients requiring relocation, since the absence of PT facilities in the center and south of Italy. This study aims to evaluate the financial and familial burden associated with PT treatment in Italy. Material/Methods: We included 78 patients treated with PT at our facility between November 2023 and October 2024. All participants provided informed consent and completed a structured questionnaire assessing financial, logistical, and familial impacts of treatment. Data collected included costs associated with travel, accommodation, commuting, meals, and work disruption. Statistical analyses were performed to determine medians and interquartile ranges (IQR) for reported expenses and time-related parameters. The data were collected prospectively within the POWER registry (NCT05860361). Results: Of the 78 patients, 43 (55%) traveled from another region, with 39 (50%) temporarily relocating. Among those relocating, 30 (76.9%) moved with a sibling, 7 (17.9%) with a non-sibling, and 2 (5.1%) alone. The median return trip