Radiotherapy in cancer treatment during the covid-19 pandemic: One year results from Northeast Turkey

OBJECTIVE The goal of this article was to assess the effects and consequences of strict measures in radiation oncology centers in northeastern Turkey during the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic and to ensure that the reorganization of programs occurred without interruption to radiotherapy (RT). METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the records of 1063 patients (median age 63 years; range 3-93 years) who were treated in RI centers from March 2020 to March 2021. The study cohort was divided into two groups: Group A consisted of patients who received RT in the first 6 months and Group B comprised patients who received RT in the second 6 months. RESULTS The age distribution was similar in both groups. The analysis of the intent of treatment showed that 585 (55%) patients were treated with a radical intent in Group A, whereas only 478 (45%) were treated with a radical intent in Group B. Lung, breast, and genitourinary cancers were the most common cancer types in both periods. There was a significant decline in the number of female patients in Group B. Test results of 31 (2.9%) patients, 8 (25.8%) women and 23 (74.2%) men, who had nasopharyngeal swabs, were positive. CONCLUSION This study shows that oncology patients in our region are more worried about disease progression than the pandemic and insist on going to RT, especially during the first 6-month period when the pandemic was thought to be temporary. As a result of careful precautions, treatments in the clinics continued without contamination

Radiotherapy for benign diseases in Turkey: a patterns of care survey of the Turkish Society for Radiation Oncology (TROD 05-002).

Purpose: We aimed to investigate the patterns of radiotherapy (RT) care in cases of benign diseases in Turkey. Methods: A questionnaire survey was sent to all radiation oncology (RO) departments in Turkey. The number of patients treated for benign disease between 2015 and 2020 was requested. A list of benign conditions was given, and information on the number of patients per disease, single and total doses prescribed, weekly fractions, radiation type, energy, and device was requested. Results: Of the 138 RO departments, 29 (21%) responded. The data received concerned 15 (52%) university, 10 (34%) public, and four (14%) private hospitals. A total of 130,846 patients were treated with RT in these departments. Of these patients, 6346 (4.85%) were treated for benign conditions. The most common benign diseases treated with RT were meningioma (35%), plantar fasciitis (19%), schwannoma (16%), arteriovenous malformation (11%), and pituitary adenoma (7%). Most centers performed RT for paraganglioma, heterotopic ossification, vertebral hemangioma, and Graves’ ophthalmopathy, but none treated arthrosis. Wide variations were observed across the departments. Radiosurgery for intracranial pathologies was performed intensively in four centers. By contrast, RT for plantar fasciitis was predominantly treated in five centers, one of which had more than 1000 patients. Conclusion: The ratio of patients who underwent RT for benign diseases in Turkey among all patients who underwent RT was 4.85%. The common pattern of RT in 72% of patients was radiosurgery for intracranial benign diseases, followed by low-dose RT for plantar fasciitis in 19%