Epidemiological aspects of hadron therapy: a prospective nationwide study of the Austrian project MedAustron and the Austrian Society of Radiooncology (OEGRO).
BACKGROUND
The planned MedAustron hadron therapy facility is designed to compare proton and carbon ion beam therapy under the same technical conditions. For the calculation of the number of potential patients for hadron therapy so far, only epidemiological estimations on cancer incidence are available without inclusion of the percentage of patients routinely referred to conventional radiotherapy.


METHODS
Nationwide prospective survey to collect disease and treatment related data on patients receiving conventional radiotherapy at all 12 treatment facilities. Epidemiological cancer incidence (Statistic Austria 1999) were correlated with the number of patients receiving conventional radiotherapy. Based on published clinical and experimental results on proton and carbon ion therapy, a calculation of patient's subgroups suitable for hadron therapy was performed at five European University hospitals involved in the HICAT, CNAO, ETOILE and MEDAustron project. Using the mean values of the University specific percentages per tumour site, the number of potential patients was estimated.


RESULTS
In Austria, a total of 3783 patients started radiotherapy during the study period of 3 months resulting in an approximated number of 15132 patients per year. The number of potential patients was estimated to 2044 per year, representing 5.6% of all newly diagnosed cancer patients and 13.5% of all irradiated cancer patients.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a clear place for a hadron therapy facility in Austria, based on pattern of care in radiotherapy, cancer incidence and indications.
Mayer
Ramona
R
Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Medical University of Graz, Austria. ramona.mayer@meduni-graz.at
Mock
Ulrike
U
Jäger
Robert
R
Pötter
Richard
R
Vutuc
Christian
C
Eiter
Helmut
H
Krugmann
Kristine
K
Hammer
Josef
J
Hirn
Brigitte
B
Hawliczek
Robert
R
Knocke-Abulesz
Tomas-Henrik
TH
Lukas
Peter
P
Nechville
Elisabeth
E
Pakisch
Brigitte
B
Papauschek
Michael
M
Raunik
Wolfgang
W
Rhomberg
Walter
W
Sabitzer
Hubert
H
Schratter-Sehn
Annemarie
A
Sedlmayer
Felix
F
Wedrich
Irene
I
Auberger
Thomas
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001317:Austria; D002244:Carbon / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D063193:Heavy Ion Radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D061766:Proton Therapy
D002244:Carbon