Can national clinical audits and quality indicators help the journey in further improving the quality and safety of radiotherapy treatments?

Radiation therapy (RT) is an essential treatment modality for cancer care and cure. Over the years, radiation treatments have become more complex and more computerized leading to highly precise treatment approaches maximising loco-regional control while minimising toxicity. Safe and effective radiotherapy delivery however requires the implementation of adapted quality assurance (QA) programs and integral quality management (QM) systems, favouring continuous quality improvement. Throughout the past decades, the College of Physicians for Radiation Oncology Centres has been the source of numerous national initiatives, which have fostered and accompanied radiation oncology departments in taking the steps towards increased quality of care. This includes the implementation of peer reviewed clinical audits and the definition and monitoring of radiotherapy-specific structural, process and outcome quality indicators (RT-QI). The aim of this thesis work was to facilitate the implementation and to structurally analyse the quality criteria collected through both initiatives and to validate their use as quality improvement tools.(SP - Sciences de la santé publique) -- UCL, 202

Patient setup for PET/CT acquisition in radiotherapy planning

PET/CT imaging modalities have been shown to be useful in the diagnosis, staging, and monitoring of malignant diseases. Its inclusion into the treatment planning process is now central to modern radiotherapy practice. However, it is essential to be cognisant of the factors that are necessary in order to ensure that the acquired images are consistent with the requirements for both treatment planning and treatment delivery. Essential parameters required in image acquisition for radiotherapy planning and treatment include consistencies of table tops and the use of laser light for patient set-up. But they also include the accurate definition of the patient's initial positioning and the use of proper immobilization devices in the radiotherapy department. While determining this optimum set-up, patient psychological factors and limitations that may be due to the subsequent use of PET/CT for planning purposes need to be taken into account. Furthermore, patient set-up data need to be properly recorded and transmitted to the imaging departments. To ensure the consistency of patient set-up, the radiation therapist should ideally be directly involved in informing and positioning the patient on the PET/CT. However, a proper exchange of patient-related information can also be achieved by a close liaison between the two departments and by the use of clear detailed protocols per type of patient set-up and/or per localization of tumour site. (C) 2010 European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology and European Association of Nuclear Medicine. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. 96 (2010) 298-30

Feasibility and impact of national peer reviewed clinical audits in radiotherapy departments

Purpose/objective: A national incentive brought about the instauration of systematic clinical audits of all Belgian radiotherapy departments (n = 25) from 2011 to 2015 using the International Atomic Energy Agency QUATRO (Quality Improvement Quality Assurance Team for Radiation Oncology) methodology. The impact of these audits was evaluated and the emitted recommendations originating from the audit reports were analysed to identify areas of weakness on a national basis. Method: The QUATRO audits performed in each radiotherapy department gave rise to reports in which each department received a list of recommendations that it is free to implement. These audit reports were analyzed to identify common areas for which improvements were recommended. Moreover, questionnaires were sent to all departments in order to evaluate the overall usefulness of the recommendations as well as the relevancy and the actual impact of each individual recommendation. Results: Of the 381 emitted recommendations, 34% concerned process optimization of which a quarter involved process improvement and protocol development. Twenty-seven percent of the recommendations concerned infrastructure of which one-third was related to the quality of the equipment or facility. Nineteen and 20% of recommendations addressed department organisational and staff issues respectively. When analysing the departments' feedback questionnaires, 54% of the departments evaluated the audits' recommendations as being very useful. Furthermore, 42.7% of the recommendations were found to be very relevant and 23.5% were deemed to have an important impact. Conclusion: This first round of audits in Belgium allowed for the identification of common areas for improvements of practice in radiation oncology departments, with a focus on process optimization and infrastructure elements. Similarly, the audits' emitted recommendations were globally deemed very relevant. Encouraged, by this analysis, a second cycle of audits has started in Belgium with a modified version of the QUATRO document (B-QUATRO)

Evaluation of MVCT protocols for brain and head and neck tumor patients treated with helical tomotherapy

PURPOSE: Helical tomotherapy is a modality of radiation treatment delivery which is equipped with an on-board imaging device (MVCT) allowing for daily patient set-up verification and correction in the medial-lateral (m-l), cranial-caudal (c-c), anterior-posterior (a-p) and transversal angular (roll) directions. In this study, we measured set-up deviations and evaluated different MVCT protocols for brain and head and neck (H&N) cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The daily set-up errors of 75 H&N cancer patients immobilized with 5-point fixation thermoplastic masks and 30 brain cancer patients immobilized with 3-point fixation thermoplastic masks were detected by matching the MVCT with the treatment planning CT images. This co-registration procedure was accomplished automatically by the system's software (automatic deviations), then corrected manually by the radiation therapists (total deviations). Systematic and random errors were analyzed on a patient and a population basis. Moreover, 2 MVCT protocols were retrospectively evaluated; MVCTs were either acquired during the first five fractions (FFFs) or on alternate week (ALT). Systematic deviations were calculated based upon prior "MVCT" fractions and applied during the "non-MVCT" fractions. The resulting residual deviations were then analyzed. RESULTS: The total systematic (and random) deviations reached 1.7mm (1.4mm), 1.6mm (1.5mm), 1.5mm (1.5mm) and 0.6 degrees (0.6 degrees ) for H&N cancer patients and reached 1.6mm (0.9mm), 1.7mm (1.1mm), 1.1mm (0.8mm) and 0.9 degrees (0.6 degrees ) for brain cancer patients in the m-l, c-c, a-p and roll directions, respectively. A t-test detected small but statistically significant differences between the automatic and total deviations. Both MVCT protocols gave rise to similar residual deviations. However, for H&N cancer patients the ALT protocol resulted in smaller residual deviations and CTV-PTV margins, particularly in the a-p direction. CONCLUSION: The total systematic and random deviations were comparable to the previously published data. No clinical difference exists between the automatic and total deviations. Both MVCT protocols were similar. But, for H&N cancer patients, the ALT protocol gave rise to smaller residual deviations and therefore is the correct formula to adopt in order to reduce the frequency of pre-treatment MVCTs

Belgique

COVID-19 reached Belgium in February and quickly became a major public health challenge. It is of importance to evaluate the actual impact of COVID-19 on patients and staff in Belgian radiotherapy departments (RTDs). This was evaluated through a weekly national survey sent to departments measuring key factors that were affected by the pandemic. The Belgian SocieTy for Radiation Oncology (BeSTRO) together with the Belgian College for physicians in Radiation Oncology invited all 26 RTD to participate in a survey that started on March 2nd and was re- submitted weekly for 4 months to assess variations in time. The survey focused on: (1) the COVID-19 status of patients and staff; (2) the management of clinically suspected COVID patients and COVID positive patients; (3) the impact of COVID-19 on RTD activities; (4) its impact in radiotherapy indications and fractionation schemes. Seventy-three percent of 26 RTDs completed the first survey and 57% responded to all weekly surveys. In the RTD staff, 24 members were COVID-positive of whom 67% were RTTs. Over the study period, the number of patients treated dropped by a maximum of 18.8% when compared to March 2nd. In 32.3% of COVID-positive and 54% of COVID suspected patients, treatment was continued without any interruptions. Radiotherapy indications were adapted within the 1st weeks of the survey in 47.4% of RTD, especially for urological and breast tumors. Fractionation schemes were changed in 68.4% of RTD, mainly for urological, breast, gastro-intestinal, and lung tumors. Between March and June 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an important decrease in treatment activity in RTD in Belgium (18.8%). The COVID-19 infection status of patients influenced the continuity of the radiotherapy schedule. Changes in indications and fractionation schedules of radiotherapy were rapidly incorporated in the different RTD

ESTRO ACROP guidelines for positioning, immobilisation and position verification of head and neck patients for radiation therapists

Background and purpose: Over the last decade, the management of locally advanced head and neck cancers (HNCs) has seen a substantial increase in the use of chemoradiation. These guidelines have been developed to assist Radiation TherapisTs (RTTs) in positioning, immobilisation and position verification for head and neck cancer patients. Materials and methods: A critical review of the literature was undertaken by the writing committee.Based on the literature review, a survey was developed to ascertain the current positioning, immobilisation and position verification methods for head and neck radiation therapy across Europe. The survey was translated into Italian, German, Greek, Portuguese, Russian, Croatian, French and Spanish.Guidelines were subsequently developed by the writing committee. Results: Results from the survey indicated that a wide variety of treatment practices and treatment verification protocols are in operation for head and neck cancer patients across Europe currently.The guidelines developed are based on the experience and expertise of the writing committee, remaining cognisant of the variations in imaging and immobilisation techniques used currently in Europe. Conclusions: These guidelines have been developed to provide RTTs with guidance on positioning, immobilisation and position verification of HNC patients. The guidelines will also provide RTTs with the means to critically reflect on their own daily clinical practice with this patient group. Keywords: Head and neck, Immobilisation, Positioning, Verificatio

Radiotherapy setup displacements in breast cancer patients: 3D surface imaging experience

AIM: In this study, we intend to compare two different setup procedures for female breast cancer patients. BACKGROUND: Imaging in radiotherapy provides a precise localization of the tumour, increasing the accuracy of the treatment delivery in breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty breast cancer patients who underwent whole breast radiotherapy (WBRT) were selected for this study. Patients were divided into two groups of ten. Group one (G1) was positioned by tattoos and then the patient positioning was adjusted with the aid of AlignRT (Vision RT, London, UK). In group two (G2), patients were positioned only by tattoos. For both groups, the first 15 fractions were analyzed, a daily kilovoltage (kV) cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) image was made and then the rotational and translational displacements and, posteriorly, the systematic (Σ) and random (σ) errors were analyzed. RESULTS: The comparison of CBCT displacements for the two groups showed a statistically significant difference in the translational left-right (LR) direction (ρ = 0.03), considering that the procedure with AlignRT system has smaller lateral displacements. The results of systematic (Σ) and random (σ) errors showed that for translational displacements the group positioned only by tattoos (G2) demonstrated higher values of errors when compared with the group positioned with the aid of AlignRT (G1). CONCLUSIONS: AlignRT could help the positioning of breast cancer patients; however, it should be used with another imaging method