Resources and management strategies for the use of radiotherapy in the treatment of lung cancer in Central and Eastern European countries: results of an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) survey.
OBJECTIVE
To assess resources and management strategies for the use of radiotherapy (RT) in the treatment of lung cancer in developing Central and Eastern European countries.


METHODS
Questionnaires on patterns of care of NSCLC and SCLC were sent to radiation oncologists of Central and Eastern Europe. Comparisons were made between two groups of countries-ex-USSR states and other Eastern and Central European countries.


RESULTS
Twenty-four out of twenty-eight surveyed countries responded. There were significant differences in access to modern treatment facilities (3D planning systems, number of linear accelerators), percentage of patients with lung cancer receiving radiotherapy, schedules of palliative RT, use of postoperative RT for early stages between both analysed groups of countries. 3D systems were in use in 25% of centres for an entire treatment, in 28% for a part of the treatment, and in 47% curative RT was 2D planned. Sequential chemo-RT was the most common approach to radical management of NSCLC, followed by RT alone and concomitant chemo-RT; median percentages of patients receiving respective treatments per centre were 57%, 30%, and 10%. For SCLC, the concurrent approach was declared by 56%, and the sequential approach by 42% of responders.


CONCLUSIONS
Patterns of care of lung cancer in the analysed countries differed in some part from existing, evidence-based data on lung cancer. In particular, this difference was observed between ex-USSR countries and the rest of European developing countries in the equipment available and specific diagnostic and treatment parameters in radiotherapy of lung cancer, the latter group's practices more resembling those of developed European countries.
Kepka
Lucyna
L
Department of Radiotherapy, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Centre and Institute of Oncology, ul. Roentgena 5, 02-781 Warsaw, Poland. lucynak@coi.pl
Danilova
Vera
V
Saghatelyan
Tatul
T
Bajcsay
Andras
A
Utehina
Olga
O
Stojanovic
Suzana
S
Yalman
Deniz
D
Demiral
Ayse
A
Bondaruk
Olga
O
Kuddu
Maire
M
Jeremic
Branislav
B
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003625:Data Collection; D003906:Developing Countries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005060:Europe; D006295:Health Resources; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007390:International Agencies; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018787:Radiation Oncology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents