title: Demand for radiotherapy in Spain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Assessing the demand for radiotherapy in Spain based on existing evidence to estimate the human resources and equipment needed so that every person in Spain has access to high-quality radiotherapy when they need it.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used data from the European Cancer Observatory on the estimated incidence of cancer in Spain in 2012, along with the evidence-based indications for radiotherapy developed by the Australian CCORE project, to obtain an optimal radiotherapy utilisation proportion (OUP) for each tumour.
  
  
  RESULTS
  About 50.5 % of new cancers in Spain require radiotherapy at least once over the course of the disease. Additional demand for these services comes from reradiation therapy and non-melanoma skin cancer. Approximately, 25-30 % of cancer patients with an indication for radiotherapy do not receive it due to factors that include access, patient preference, familiarity with the treatment among physicians, and especially resource shortages, all of which contribute to its underutilisation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Radiotherapy is underused in Spain. The increasing incidence of cancer expected over the next decade and the greater frequency of reradiations necessitate the incorporation of radiotherapy demand into need-based calculations for cancer services planning.
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Hospital Ruber Internacional, C/La Masó 38, 28034, Madrid, Spain. arodriguez@ruberinternacional.es.
authors: A
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6591-7109
authors: A
authors: Rodríguez
authors: Universidad de Barcelona, IDIBELL, Gran Vía de L'Hospitalet 199, Hospitalet del Llobregat, 08908, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: J M
authors: JM
authors: Borrás
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, ERESA Hospital General Universitario, Calle de la Casa Misericordia 12, 46014, Valencia, Spain.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: López-Torrecilla
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Hospital de la Esperanza, Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona, Spain.|Universitat Pompeu Fabra, San José de la Montaña 12, 08024, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Algara
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Avenida Menéndez Pidal s/n, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Palacios-Eito
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Hospital Clínico Universitario Santiago de Compostela, Travesia de Choupana s/n, 15706, Santiago de Compostela, La Coruña, Spain.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Gómez-Caamaño
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias (HUCA), Avenida de Roma s/n, 33011, Oviedo, Spain.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Olay
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Hospital Universitario Dr Negrín, Barranco de la Ballena s/n, 35010, Las Palmas, Spain.|Clinical Oncology, Universidad de Las Palmas, Las Palmas, Spain.
authors: P C
authors: PC
authors: Lara
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D057240:Patient Preference; D011878:Radiotherapy; D013030:Spain
keywords: Evidence-based practice; Optimal utilization; Planning; Radiotherapy-demand; Spain