TY - JOUR
T1 - The role of palliative radiotherapy in the management of elderly and frail patients with advanced bladder cancer
T2 - A survey by the AIRO uro-group
AU - Marvaso, Giulia
AU - Nicosia, Luca
AU - Vinciguerra, Annamaria
AU - Borghetti, Paolo
AU - Trodella, Luca Eolo
AU - Francolini, Giulio
AU - Timon, Giorgia
AU - Matrone, Fabio
AU - Ognibene, Lucia
AU - Franzese, Ciro
AU - Jereczek-Fossa, Barbara Alicja
AU - Arcangeli, Stefano
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
PY - 2021/2
Y1 - 2021/2
N2 - Radiotherapy (RT) is rarely used in the palliative management of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). This survey aims to explore current care patterns within the Italian Radiation Oncologist community on this topic. In 2020, the uro-oncological study group of the Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology (AIRO) conducted a survey evaluating the RT role in advanced MIBC. An electronic questionnaire was administered online to the society members asking for: general considerations, patients’ selection, and aim of the treatment, RT schedule and practical consideration, past and future perspective. Sixty-one questionnaires were returned (33% response rate). Most responders (62.30%) declared to work in a Center with a multidisciplinary uro-oncological team, and 8.20% to evaluate more than 20 patients with MIBC/year for palliative RT. Elderly patients were the most frequently evaluated (46.7%) and life expectancy was the most common selection criteria (44.60%). Thirty Gy in 10 fractions (58.9%), whole bladder as GTV (62.5%), PTV isotropic margins of 1.5–2 cm (44.6%) and IMRT/VMAT technique (58.14%) were the most common treatment choices. Patients amenable for bladder palliative RT were most commonly referred by the urologist (43.86%) or the multidisciplinary team (38%). The reported main reasons for the low involvement of radiation oncologist in the management of MIBC patients were low attention to the palliative setting in bladder cancer (37.5%); radiation oncologist not involved in the management of these patients (32.1%); cases not discussed in the multidisciplinary board (26.8%). This survey illustrated the current use of palliative RT for patients with advanced MIBC in Italy and suggested the need for a greater involvement of radiation oncologists in their management.
AB - Radiotherapy (RT) is rarely used in the palliative management of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). This survey aims to explore current care patterns within the Italian Radiation Oncologist community on this topic. In 2020, the uro-oncological study group of the Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology (AIRO) conducted a survey evaluating the RT role in advanced MIBC. An electronic questionnaire was administered online to the society members asking for: general considerations, patients’ selection, and aim of the treatment, RT schedule and practical consideration, past and future perspective. Sixty-one questionnaires were returned (33% response rate). Most responders (62.30%) declared to work in a Center with a multidisciplinary uro-oncological team, and 8.20% to evaluate more than 20 patients with MIBC/year for palliative RT. Elderly patients were the most frequently evaluated (46.7%) and life expectancy was the most common selection criteria (44.60%). Thirty Gy in 10 fractions (58.9%), whole bladder as GTV (62.5%), PTV isotropic margins of 1.5–2 cm (44.6%) and IMRT/VMAT technique (58.14%) were the most common treatment choices. Patients amenable for bladder palliative RT were most commonly referred by the urologist (43.86%) or the multidisciplinary team (38%). The reported main reasons for the low involvement of radiation oncologist in the management of MIBC patients were low attention to the palliative setting in bladder cancer (37.5%); radiation oncologist not involved in the management of these patients (32.1%); cases not discussed in the multidisciplinary board (26.8%). This survey illustrated the current use of palliative RT for patients with advanced MIBC in Italy and suggested the need for a greater involvement of radiation oncologists in their management.
KW - AIRO
KW - Bladder cancer
KW - Palliative radiotherapy
KW - Survey
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U2 - 10.1007/s12032-021-01455-4
DO - 10.1007/s12032-021-01455-4
M3 - Article
C2 - 33484363
AN - SCOPUS:85099803805
VL - 38
JO - Medical Oncology
JF - Medical Oncology
SN - 1357-0560
IS - 2
M1 - 14
ER -