title: Epidemiological aspects of hadron therapy: a prospective nationwide study of the Austrian project MedAustron and the Austrian Society of Radiooncology (OEGRO).
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Medical University of Graz, Austria. ramona.mayer@meduni-graz.at
authors.forename: Ramona
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Mock
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jäger
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pötter
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vutuc
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Eiter
authors.forename: Kristine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Krugmann
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hammer
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hirn
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hawliczek
authors.forename: Tomas-Henrik
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Knocke-Abulesz
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lukas
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nechville
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pakisch
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Papauschek
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Raunik
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rhomberg
authors.forename: Hubert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sabitzer
authors.forename: Annemarie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schratter-Sehn
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sedlmayer
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wedrich
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Auberger
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D002244:Carbon