Brachytherapy in the United Kingdom and Spain: a subset analysis of a European pattern of care survey.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The aim of this pattern of care survey was to provide an overview of brachytherapy resources and practices in the United Kingdom (UK) and Spain and to identify differences that may be relevant to health-care delivery and planning. METHODS AND MATERIALS Both countries formed part of a larger survey of European radiation oncology centres carried out in 2002. The present study includes only data from centres that perform brachytherapy and completed the questionnaire. RESULTS: Between 1997 and 2002, the number of hospitals offering brachytherapy increased by 10.2% in the UK and 21.4% in Spain. The mean number of radiotherapy patients per centre was significantly higher in the UK (2811 patients) than in Spain (1203). Gynaecological tumours accounted for most procedures (59.7% in Spain and 60.8% in the UK), followed by prostate cancer in the UK (16.7%) and breast cancer in Spain (15.5%). Significantly more procedures for breast cancer were performed in Spain (19.7 patients/centre) than in the UK (0.4 patients/centre). A significantly higher percentage of radiation oncologists in Spain performed brachytherapy, dedicating more time to brachytherapy-related work (22.2 h/week) than their colleagues in the UK (6.7 h/week). CONCLUSIONS: Brachytherapy resources and patterns of care are similar in both countries, although several notable differences exist. Radiation oncologists in Spain dedicate significantly more time to brachytherapy. Compared to the UK, brachytherapy is used more frequently in Spain as a boost in breast cancer treatments. Both countries perform more brachytherapy procedures for prostate cancer than the European average.