The Distribution and Patterns of Practice of Stereotactic Ablative Body Radiotherapy in Canada

The aim of this study was to evaluate the distribution, adoption, and utilization of stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) in Canada.

All Canadian radiotherapy centres (N = 41) were sent electronic surveys regarding their use of SABR.

Eighty-eight percent of centres responded, and 34% are using SABR. Only 50% of Canada's 10 provinces have SABR centres. Ten centres began SABR programs during the previous 3 years, and within 5 years the number of SABR centres is expected to nearly double. The lung is the most common site treated (13 centres) followed by the liver (9) and spine (6). The most common dose fractionation for the lung and liver are 48 Gy/4 and 45 Gy/3, respectively. No centres treating spine use the same most common schedule. All centres use volumetric on-board imaging. A minority of centres are engaged in peer review of treatment volumes, dose distributions, and/or outcome tracking. Among centres not using SABR, a lack of required technology is the most common reason reported.

Currently, access to SABR varies considerably by health care jurisdiction. However, the number of SABR centres is expected to increase markedly. Centres using SABR have uniform access to advanced technology for treatment planning and delivery. These results vary from the United States where access to SABR is similar geographically, whereas the use of advanced planning and delivery technology is variable.