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E. Vonk



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    MO23 - Radiotherapy II: Lung Toxicity, Target Definition and Quality Assurance (ID 107)

    • Event: WCLC 2013
    • Type: Mini Oral Abstract Session
    • Track: Radiation Oncology + Radiotherapy
    • Presentations: 1
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      MO23.03 - Dutch Radiotherapy Lung Audit: Results of a National Pilot (ID 2128)

      10:30 - 12:00  |  Author(s): E. Vonk

      • Abstract
      • Presentation
      • Slides

      Background
      The Dutch Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (NVRO) aims to ensure transparency regarding clinical outcome, quality and safety of lung cancer treatments in radiotherapy departments throughout The Netherlands. Auditing is considered the best instrument to achieve this. The quality of the radiotherapy will become transparent by using objective and reliable data from accurate registration of clinical outcome linked to patient and treatment characteristics The results of the audit are communicated to the health professionals that supplied the data. This outcome registration will provide the local health professionals with a robust instrument to compare and improve their lung cancer treatments. The decision was made to seek collaboration with the thoracic surgeons as their group were already committed to the DICA (Dutch Institute for Clinical Auditing) .

      Methods
      The Quality Assurance Committee of the NVRO, in collaboration with a platform of Dutch radiation oncologists dedicated to lung cancer treatment, received a grant to set-up a quality assurance program for lung cancer treatment. Quality indicators to be collected were defined within the platform of Dutch radiation oncologists and a database was setup in October 2012. All patients receiving primary thoracic radiation treatment with curative intent for (primary or recurrent) stage I-IIIB lung cancer will be included in the registry. Information will be collected on patient, tumor and treatment characteristics, the incidence and severity of acute toxicity, mortality within three months of radical radiotherapy and the time interval between diagnostic work-up and start of radiotherapy The adherence to the NVRO and Dutch guidelines will be registered and analyzed, as well as the use of new treatment techniques like stereotactic radiotherapy and image-guided radiotherapy. A pilot phase was initiated to test the feasibility of enrolling patients from six participating centers.

      Results
      The pilot-database was tested in 6 Dutch centers: NKI-AVL (Amsterdam), MAASTRO clinic (Maastricht), RIF (Leeuwarden), RISO (Deventer), UMC Radboud (Nijmegen) and ARTI (Arnhem). A total of 196 patients were entered from January to June 2013. Analysis of the patients entered is ongoing. We expect to have a national roll-out in October 2013. The patient records were very complete with a few exceptions: lung function tests, the Mean Lung Dose / Lung V20, gross tumor volume (23% missing) and the non-mandatory follow-up items. The mean age was 68 years (range 41-90) with 57% males. Charlson comorbidity index ≥ 2 was scored in 39% of patients. Most patients (66%) were cN+ with 14% T4 tumours. Most patients received IMRT or VMAT irradiation. Ninety-five percent of patients completed treatment. All registered patients had position verification during irradiation, mostly 3D (70%). Acute 3-month toxicity (grade≥ III) was registered in 18% of patients and 3-month mortality was 4.4%.

      Conclusion
      This national audit on outcome after radiotherapy is directed towards an improvement of care for lung cancer patients and will help to direct evidence into clinical practice. It is expected to have an important impact on quality assurance ,safety and possibly patient mortality.

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