title: Japanese structure survey of radiation oncology in 2007 with special reference to designated cancer care hospitals.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The structure of radiation oncology in designated cancer care hospitals in Japan was investigated in terms of equipment, personnel, patient load, and geographic distribution. The effect of changes in the health care policy in Japan on radiotherapy structure was also examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Japanese Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology surveyed the national structure of radiation oncology in 2007. The structures of 349 designated cancer care hospitals and 372 other radiotherapy facilities were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Respective findings for equipment and personnel at designated cancer care hospitals and other facilities included the following: linear accelerators/facility: 1.3 and 1.0; annual patients/linear accelerator: 296.5 and 175.0; and annual patient load/full-time equivalent radiation oncologist was 237.0 and 273.3, respectively. Geographically, the number of designated cancer care hospitals was associated with population size.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The structure of radiation oncology in Japan in terms of equipment, especially for designated cancer care hospitals, was as mature as that in European countries and the United States, even though the medical costs in relation to GDP in Japan are lower. There is still a shortage of manpower. The survey data proved to be important to fully understand the radiation oncology medical care system in Japan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics and Engineering, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Hodaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Numasaki
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shibuya
authors.forename: Masamichi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishio
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sekiguchi
authors.forename: Norihiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kamikonya
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koizumi
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tago
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.forename: Nobuhiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tsukamoto
authors.forename: Atsuro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Terahara
authors.forename: Katsumasa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Michihide
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mitsumori
authors.forename: Tetsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hareyama
authors.forename: Teruki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Teshima
mesh_terms: D002173:Cancer Care Facilities / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003625:Data Collection; D004865:Equipment and Supplies, Hospital / Q000600:supply & distribution; D005060:Europe; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D010315:Particle Accelerators / Q000600:supply & distribution; D011156:Population Density; D018787:Radiation Oncology / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States; D014600:Utilization Review / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000078329:Workforce