How do waiting times affect radiation dose fractionation schedules?

The purpose of the present paper was to evaluate the changing patterns of dose prescription at the Queensland Radium Institute from 1995 to 1998 inclusive. Data were analysed from the treatment files collected on each patient and these were compared with data on delay time. There has been an increased use of shorter fractionation schedules in the period studied. Paradoxically, radical treatments have become longer. The average number of fractions for all patients was 17.4 and for palliative treatments it was 7.4. The monthly delay varied from 0 to 22 working days and the average was 7 working days. When fraction number was compared to treatment delay, there was a negative linear correlation (R = -0.25). The correlation was stronger (R = -0.467) when palliative treatments were compared, indicating that clinicians were more prepared to alter palliative treatments in the presence of a treatment delay than curative ones.