Utilization of brachytherapy in Quebec, Canada

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Radiotherapy
• Medical Physics

Background:

• Brachytherapy offers excellent clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness.
• Despite benefits, reports suggest a decline in brachytherapy utilization.
• This study examines brachytherapy use trends in Quebec, Canada.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the utilization trend of brachytherapy in Quebec from 2011 to 2019.
• To analyze changes in high dose rate (HDR) and low dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy procedures.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study analyzing brachytherapy data from Quebec, Canada (2011-2019).
• Involved all radiotherapy clinics providing brachytherapy services.
• Time series analysis of HDR and LDR brachytherapy treatments using R statistical software.

Main Results:

• Brachytherapy use remained steady overall between 2011 and 2019.
• High dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy constituted over 90% of treatments.
• HDR interstitial and intracavitary treatments showed modest increases and decreases, respectively; other subtypes remained stable.

Conclusions:

• Brachytherapy utilization in Quebec was stable from 2011-2019.
• Brachytherapy's precision and cost-effectiveness are vital for cancer treatment.
• Policies, regulations, and training are essential for maintaining brachytherapy access.