Author:

Keywords:

mesothelioma, prophylactic, radiotherapy, survey, phase-ii trial, resection, survival, Science & Technology, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Oncology, Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging, PHASE-II TRIAL, RESECTION, SURVIVAL, Belgium, Dose Fractionation, Radiation, Health Care Surveys, Humans, Mesothelioma, Neoplasm Recurrence, Local, Netherlands, Palliative Care, Pleural Neoplasms, Radiotherapy, Surveys and Questionnaires, 0299 Other Physical Sciences, 1112 Oncology and Carcinogenesis, Oncology & Carcinogenesis, 3202 Clinical sciences, 3211 Oncology and carcinogenesis, 5105 Medical and biological physics

Abstract:

A survey was performed on the radiotherapy practice of malignant pleural mesothelioma in The Netherlands and Belgium in 2002. Thirty-eight out of 47 centres (81%) responded. Prophylactic radiotherapy to intervention sites is given by 32/38 (84%) centres, with all centres offering palliative radiation. For both prophylactic and palliative indications, all centres use hypo-fractionated schedules. The present study shows that in the radiotherapy community in The Netherlands and in Belgium, a de facto consensus exists that both prophylactic and symptomatic radiotherapy to intervention sites of malignant pleural mesothelioma are effective and that hypo-fractionated schedules should be used. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.