Patterns of radiotherapy practice for pancreatic cancer: Results of the Gastrointestinal Radiation Oncology Study Group multi-institutional survey

Oncol Rep. 2015 Jul;34(1):382-90. doi: 10.3892/or.2015.3955. Epub 2015 May 6.

Abstract

No information is currently available regarding pancreatic cancer (PC) pattern of care in Italy. In the present study, a nationwide survey using a questionnaire was performed to enquire the local standards for PC diagnosis and radiotherapy treatment. Fifty-seven percent of 140 Italian centres completed questionnaire. The main causes of no radiotherapy indication were poor general condition (45%) and lack of guidelines (25%). Physicians (38%) employed neoadjuvant therapy in locally advanced PC patients, while in other centres (62%) adjuvant chemoradiation was administered. Adjuvant gemcitabine-based chemotherapy was selected as the treatment of choice by 59% of centres. Patients were treated mostly with doses of 50-54.9 Gy on the tumour (or bed) plus lymph nodes. A 3D-CRT technique was used in 81.2% of centres, while IMRT and IGRT were available in 61.2 and 48.7% of cases, respectively. Extensive variation exists with regard to patterns of care for PC in Italy. Nevertheless, cooperative studies emerging from this survey appeared beneficial.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Chemoradiotherapy, Adjuvant / statistics & numerical data*
  • Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / statistics & numerical data*
  • Health Care Surveys
  • Humans
  • Italy
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / radiotherapy*
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic / standards
  • Practice Patterns, Physicians' / statistics & numerical data*
  • Radiation Oncology