Brachytherapy in Belgium in 2018. A national survey of the brachytherapy study group of the Belgian SocieTy for Radiotherapy and Oncology (BeSTRO)

Abstract

Purpose: To explore the current practices patterns and evaluate the actual brachytherapy (BT) resources in Belgium.

Material and methods: In 2019, the Brachytherapy Study Group proposed to conduct a survey on behalf of the Belgian SocieTy of Radiation Oncology (BeSTRO) in order to identify current BT practice patterns. An electronic questionnaire was sent to all primary radiotherapy centers in Belgium. This questionnaire was based on the questionnaire that was used by the Italian Association of Radiation Oncology (AIRO) in 2016, asking for: (a) General information on the Radiation Oncology Centre; (b) BT equipment and human resources; (c) BT procedures; (d) BT assessment (number of patients treated annually, treated sites, and different modalities of treatments).

Results: All 24 radiation oncology centers (100% response rate) answered the questionnaire and gave also information on the performance of brachytherapy in their (eventual) satellite centers. Eighteen (18) BT afterloader units were installed and operational in 2018. Thirteen centers mentioned a prostate seed implant program, one center a prostate and eye plaque program and one center only an eye plaque program. Less than 50% of centers have the infrastructure to offer the full-range of BT in their own department. In 2018, 1486 patients received a BT-treatment, 28% of them were treated by prostate seed implant, 8% were treated by eye-(seed) BT and 64% by high dose rate (HDR)/pulsed dose rate (PDR) BT. Forty-five percent of HDR/PDR patients were treated by vaginal dome BT, 22% by intra-uterine BT, 11% by skin BT, 10% by breast BT (almost exclusively in one centre), 8% for benign pathology (keloid) and the remaining 4% were treated for prostate (as a boost or as salvage in one centre), anal, penile, lung or oesophageal cancer.

Conclusions: Belgian radiotherapy departments often perform BT only in a (highly) selected group of pathologies, resulting in a limited number of patients treated by this technique despite the sufficient availability of BT equipment. Modern indications are often not covered, hence patients do not have regular access to recognized treatment options, possibly leading to inferior oncological outcome. BeSTRO will use the results of this survey to stimulate improvements in training, awareness, education, implementation, collaboration and cooperation in the field of brachytherapy.

Keywords: BeSTRO (Belgian SocieTy of Radiation Oncology); Brachytherapy; Survey.