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Aggarwal A, Choudhury A, Fearnhead N, Kearns P, Kirby A, Lawler M, Quinlan S, Palmieri C, Roques T, Simcock R, Walter FM, Price P, Sullivan R. The future of cancer care in the UK-time for a radical and sustainable National Cancer Plan. Lancet Oncol 2024; 25:e6-e17. [PMID: 37977167 DOI: 10.1016/s1470-2045(23)00511-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Cancer affects one in two people in the UK and the incidence is set to increase. The UK National Health Service is facing major workforce deficits and cancer services have struggled to recover after the COVID-19 pandemic, with waiting times for cancer care becoming the worst on record. There are severe and widening disparities across the country and survival rates remain unacceptably poor for many cancers. This is at a time when cancer care has become increasingly complex, specialised, and expensive. The current crisis has deep historic roots, and to be reversed, the scale of the challenge must be acknowledged and a fundamental reset is required. The loss of a dedicated National Cancer Control Plan in England and Wales, poor operationalisation of plans elsewhere in the UK, and the closure of the National Cancer Research Institute have all added to a sense of strategic misdirection. The UK finds itself at a crossroads, where the political decisions of governments, the cancer community, and research funders will determine whether we can, together, achieve equitable, affordable, and high-quality cancer care for patients that is commensurate with our wealth, and position our outcomes among the best in the world. In this Policy Review, we describe the challenges and opportunities that are needed to develop radical, yet sustainable plans, which are comprehensive, evidence-based, integrated, patient-outcome focused, and deliver value for money.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajay Aggarwal
- Department of Health Services Research & Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Ananya Choudhury
- Department of Clinical Oncology and Division of Cancer Sciences, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - Nicola Fearnhead
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Pam Kearns
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Anna Kirby
- Department of Radiotherapy, Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK
| | - Mark Lawler
- Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queens University Belfast Belfast, UK
| | | | - Carlo Palmieri
- The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust, & Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Tom Roques
- Royal College of Radiologists & Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Norwich, UK
| | - Richard Simcock
- University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, Brighton, UK
| | - Fiona M Walter
- Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Pat Price
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK.
| | - Richard Sullivan
- Institute of Cancer Policy, Centre for Cancer, Society & Public Health, King's College London, London, UK
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Gray WK, Day J, Briggs TWR, Harrison S. An observational study of volume-outcome effects for robot-assisted radical prostatectomy in England. BJU Int 2021; 129:93-103. [PMID: 34133832 DOI: 10.1111/bju.15516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate volume-outcome relationships in robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) for cancer using data from the Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES) database for England. MATERIALS AND METHODS Data for all adult, elective RPs for cancer during the period January 2013-December 2018 (inclusive) were extracted from the HES database. The HES database records data on all National Health Service (NHS) hospital admissions in England. Data were extracted for the NHS trust and surgeon undertaking the procedure, the surgical technique used (laparoscopic, open or robot-assisted), hospital length of stay (LOS), emergency readmissions, and deaths. Multilevel modelling was used to adjust for hierarchy and covariates. RESULTS Data were available for 35 629 RPs (27 945 RARPs). The proportion of procedures conducted as RARPs increased from 53.2% in 2013 to 92.6% in 2018. For RARP, there was a significant relationship between 90-day emergency hospital readmission (primary outcome) and trust volume (odds ratio [OR] for volume decrease of 10 procedures: 0.99, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.99-1.00; P = 0.037) and surgeon volume (OR for volume decrease of 10 procedures: 0.99, 95% CI 0.99-1.00; P = 0.013) in the previous year. From lowest to highest volume category there was a decline in the adjusted proportion of patients readmitted as an emergency at 90 days from 10.6% (0-49 procedures) to 7.0% (≥300 procedures) for trusts and from 9.4% (0-9 procedures) to 8.3% (≥100 procedures) for surgeons. LOS was also significantly associated with surgeon and trust volume, although 1-year mortality was associated with neither. CONCLUSIONS There is evidence of a volume-outcome relationship for RARP in England and minimising low-volume RARP will improve patient outcomes. Nevertheless, the observed effect size was relatively modest, and stakeholders should be realistic when evaluating the likely impact of further centralisation at a population level.
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Affiliation(s)
- William K Gray
- Getting It Right First Time programme, NHS England and NHS Improvement, London, UK
| | - Jamie Day
- Getting It Right First Time programme, NHS England and NHS Improvement, London, UK
| | - Tim W R Briggs
- Getting It Right First Time programme, NHS England and NHS Improvement, London, UK.,Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore, London, UK
| | - Simon Harrison
- Getting It Right First Time programme, NHS England and NHS Improvement, London, UK.,Pinderfields Hospital, Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, Wakefield, UK
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Aning JJ, Parry MG, van der Meulen J, Fowler S, Payne H, McGrath JS, Challacombe B, Clarke NW. How reliable are surgeon-reported data? A comparison of the British Association of Urological Surgeons radical prostatectomy audit with the National Prostate Cancer Audit Hospital Episode Statistics-linked database. BJU Int 2021; 128:482-489. [PMID: 33752249 DOI: 10.1111/bju.15399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the accuracy and completeness of surgeon-reported radical prostatectomy outcome data across a national health system by comparison with a national dataset gathered independently from clinicians directly involved in patient care. PATIENTS AND METHODS Data submitted by surgeons to the British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) radical prostatectomy audit for all men undergoing radical prostatectomy between 2015 and 2016 were assessed by cross linkage to the National Prostate Cancer Audit (NPCA) database. Specific data items collected in both databases were selected for comparison analysis. Data completeness and agreement were assessed by percentages and Cohen's kappa statistic. RESULTS Data from 4707 men in the BAUS and NPCA databases were matched for comparison. Compared with the NPCA, dataset completeness was higher in the BAUS dataset for type of nerve-sparing procedure (92% vs 42%) and postoperative margin status (89% vs 48%) but lower for readmission (87% vs 100%) and Charlson score (80% vs 100%). For all other variables assessed completeness was comparable. Agreement and data reliability were high for most variables. However, despite good agreement, the inter-cohort reliability was poor for readmission, M stage and Charlson score (κ < 0.30). CONCLUSIONS For the first time in urology we show that surgeon-reported data from the BAUS radical prostatectomy audit can reliably be used to benchmark peri-operative radical prostatectomy outcomes. For comorbidity data, to assist with risk analysis, and longer-term outcomes, NPCA routinely collected data provide a more comprehensive source.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan J Aning
- Bristol Urological Institute, North Bristol NHS Trust, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, UK
| | - Matthew G Parry
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.,Royal College of Surgeons of England, London, UK
| | | | - Sarah Fowler
- British Association of Urological Surgeons, London, UK
| | | | - John S McGrath
- Exeter Surgical Health Services Research Unit, Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, Exeter, Devon, UK
| | - Ben Challacombe
- Urology Centre, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Noel W Clarke
- Christie and Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trusts, Manchester, UK
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Aggarwal A, van der Geest SA, Lewis D, van der Meulen J, Varkevisser M. Simulating the impact of centralization of prostate cancer surgery services on travel burden and equity in the English National Health Service: A national population based model for health service re-design. Cancer Med 2020; 9:4175-4184. [PMID: 32329227 PMCID: PMC7300407 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.3073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction There is limited evidence on the impact of centralization of cancer treatment services on patient travel burden and access to treatment. Using prostate cancer surgery as an example, this national study analysis aims to simulate the effect of different centralization scenarios on the number of center closures, patient travel times, and equity in access. Methods We used patient‐level data on all men (n = 19,256) undergoing radical prostatectomy in the English National Health Service between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2014, and considered three scenarios for centralization of prostate cancer surgery services A: procedure volume, B: availability of specialized services, and C: optimization of capacity. The probability of patients travelling to each of the remaining centers in the choice set was predicted using a conditional logit model, based on preferences revealed through actual hospital selections. Multivariable linear regression analysed the impact on travel time according to patient characteristics. Results Scenarios A, B, and C resulted in the closure of 28, 24, and 37 of the 65 radical prostatectomy centers, respectively, affecting 3993 (21%), 5763 (30%), and 7896 (41%) of the men in the study. Despite similar numbers of center closures the expected average increase on travel time was very different for scenario B (+15 minutes) and A (+28 minutes). A distance minimization approach, assigning patients to their next nearest center, with patient preferences not considered, estimated a lower impact on travel burden in all scenarios. The additional travel burden on older, sicker, less affluent patients was evident, but where significant, the absolute difference was very small. Conclusion The study provides an innovative simulation approach using national patient‐level datasets, patient preferences based on actual hospital selections, and personal characteristics to inform health service planning. With this approach, we demonstrated for prostate cancer surgery that three different centralization scenarios would lead to similar number of center closures but to different increases in patient travel time, whilst all having a minimal impact on equity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajay Aggarwal
- Department of Cancer Epidemiology, Population and Global Health, King's College London, London, UK.,Department of Clinical Oncology, Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Stéphanie A van der Geest
- Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Daniel Lewis
- Department of Social and Environment Health Research, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Jan van der Meulen
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Marco Varkevisser
- Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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Aggarwal AK, Sujenthiran A, Lewis D, Walker K, Cathcart P, Clarke N, Sullivan R, van der Meulen JH. Impact of patient choice and hospital competition on patient outcomes after prostate cancer surgery: A national population-based study. Cancer 2019; 125:1898-1907. [PMID: 30707779 DOI: 10.1002/cncr.31987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Revised: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 12/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Policies that encourage patient choice and hospital competition have been introduced across several countries with the purpose of improving the quality of health care services. The objective of the current national cohort study was to analyze the correlation between choice and competition on outcomes after cancer surgery using prostate cancer as a case study. METHODS The analyses included all men who underwent prostate cancer surgery in the United Kingdom between 2008 and 2011 (n = 12,925). Multilevel logistic regression was used to assess the effect of a radical prostatectomy center being located in a competitive environment (based on the number of centers within a threshold distance) and being a successful competitor (based on the ability to attract patients from other hospitals) on 3 patient-level outcomes: postoperative length of hospital stay >3 days, 30-day emergency readmissions, and 2-year urinary complications. RESULTS With adjustment for patient characteristics, men who underwent surgery in centers located in a stronger competitive environment were less likely to have a 30-day emergency readmission, irrespective of the type or volume of procedures performed at each center (odds ratio, 0.46; 95% confidence interval, 0.36-0.60; P = .005). Men who received treatment at centers that were successful competitors were less likely to have a length of hospital stay >3 days (odds ratio, 0.49; 95% confidence interval, 0.25-0.94; P = .02). CONCLUSIONS The current results suggest for the first time that hospital competition improves short-term outcomes after prostate cancer surgery. Further evaluation of the potential role of patient choice and hospital competition is required to inform health service design in contrast to the role of top-down-driven approaches, which have focused on centralization of services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajay K Aggarwal
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Clinical Oncology, Guy's and St Thomas' National Health Service Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Arunan Sujenthiran
- Clinical Effectiveness Unit, Royal College of Surgeons of England, London, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Lewis
- Department of Social and Environment Health Research, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kate Walker
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.,Clinical Effectiveness Unit, Royal College of Surgeons of England, London, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Cathcart
- Department of Urology, Guy's and St Thomas' National Health Service Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Noel Clarke
- Department of Urology, The Christie and Salford Royal National Health Service Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Sullivan
- Institute of Cancer Policy, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jan H van der Meulen
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.,Clinical Effectiveness Unit, Royal College of Surgeons of England, London, United Kingdom
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Sujenthiran A, Nossiter J, Parry M, Charman SC, Aggarwal A, Payne H, Dasgupta P, Clarke NW, van der Meulen J, Cathcart P. National cohort study comparing severe medium-term urinary complications after robot-assisted vs laparoscopic vs retropubic open radical prostatectomy. BJU Int 2018; 121:445-452. [PMID: 29032582 PMCID: PMC5873443 DOI: 10.1111/bju.14054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the occurrence of severe urinary complications within 2 years of surgery in men undergoing either robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP), laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) or retropubic open radical prostatectomy (ORP). PATIENTS AND METHODS We conducted a population-based cohort study in men who underwent RARP (n = 4 947), LRP (n = 5 479) or ORP (n = 6 873) between 2008 and 2012 in the English National Health Service (NHS) using national cancer registry records linked to Hospital Episodes Statistics, an administrative database of admissions to NHS hospitals. We identified the occurrence of any severe urinary or severe stricture-related complication within 2 years of surgery using a validated tool. Multi-level regression modelling was used to determine the association between the type of surgery and occurrence of complications, with adjustment for patient and surgical factors. RESULTS Men undergoing RARP were least likely to experience any urinary complication (10.5%) or a stricture-related complication (3.3%) compared with those who had LRP (15.8% any or 5.7% stricture-related) or ORP (19.1% any or 6.9% stricture-related). The impact of the type of surgery on the occurrence of any urinary or stricture-related complications remained statistically significant after adjustment for patient and surgical factors (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION Men who underwent RARP had the lowest risk of developing severe urinary complications within 2 years of surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julie Nossiter
- Clinical Effectiveness UnitRoyal College of Surgeons of EnglandLondonUK
| | - Matthew Parry
- Clinical Effectiveness UnitRoyal College of Surgeons of EnglandLondonUK
- Department of Health Services Research and PolicyLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineLondonUK
| | - Susan C. Charman
- Clinical Effectiveness UnitRoyal College of Surgeons of EnglandLondonUK
- Department of Health Services Research and PolicyLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineLondonUK
| | - Ajay Aggarwal
- Department of Health Services Research and PolicyLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineLondonUK
| | - Heather Payne
- Department of OncologyUniversity College London HospitalsLondonUK
| | | | - Noel W. Clarke
- Department of UrologyChristie and Salford Royal NHS Foundation TrustsManchesterUK
| | - Jan van der Meulen
- Department of Health Services Research and PolicyLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineLondonUK
| | - Paul Cathcart
- Department of UrologyGuy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation TrustLondonUK
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Nossiter J, Sujenthiran A, Charman SC, Cathcart PJ, Aggarwal A, Payne H, Clarke NW, van der Meulen J. Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy vs laparoscopic and open retropubic radical prostatectomy: functional outcomes 18 months after diagnosis from a national cohort study in England. Br J Cancer 2018; 118:489-494. [PMID: 29348490 PMCID: PMC5830598 DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2017.454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2017] [Revised: 11/16/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) has been rapidly adopted without robust evidence comparing its functional outcomes against laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) or open retropubic radical prostatectomy (ORP) approaches. This study compared patient-reported functional outcomes following RARP, LRP or ORP. METHODS All men diagnosed with prostate cancer in England during April - October 2014 who underwent radical prostatectomy were identified from the National Prostate Cancer Audit and mailed a questionnaire 18 months after diagnosis. Group differences in patient-reported sexual, urinary, bowel and hormonal function (EPIC-26 domain scores) and generic health-related quality of life (HRQoL; EQ-5D-5L scores), with adjustment for patient and tumour characteristics, were estimated using linear regression. RESULTS In all, 2219 men (77.0%) responded; 1310 (59.0%) had RARP, 487 (21.9%) LRP and 422 (19.0%) ORP. RARP was associated with slightly higher adjusted mean EPIC-26 sexual function scores compared with LRP (3·5 point difference; 95% CI: 1.1-5.9, P=0.004) or ORP (4.0 point difference; 95% CI: 1.5-6.5, P=0.002), which did not meet the threshold for a minimal clinically important difference (10-12 points). There were no significant differences in other EPIC-26 domain scores or HRQoL. CONCLUSIONS It is unlikely that the rapid adoption of RARP in the English NHS has produced substantial improvements in functional outcomes for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Nossiter
- Department of Health Services Research & Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK
- Clinical Effectiveness Unit, Royal College of Surgeons of England, London WC2A 3PE, UK
| | - Arunan Sujenthiran
- Clinical Effectiveness Unit, Royal College of Surgeons of England, London WC2A 3PE, UK
| | - Susan C Charman
- Department of Health Services Research & Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK
- Clinical Effectiveness Unit, Royal College of Surgeons of England, London WC2A 3PE, UK
| | - Paul J Cathcart
- Department of Urology, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Ajay Aggarwal
- Department of Health Services Research & Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK
- Clinical Effectiveness Unit, Royal College of Surgeons of England, London WC2A 3PE, UK
| | - Heather Payne
- Department of Oncology, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London NW1 2BU, UK
| | - Noel W Clarke
- Department of Urology, The Christie, Manchester M20 4BX, UK
- Department of Urology, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trusts, Manchester M6 8HD, UK
| | - Jan van der Meulen
- Department of Health Services Research & Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK
- Clinical Effectiveness Unit, Royal College of Surgeons of England, London WC2A 3PE, UK
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National Population-Based Study Comparing Treatment-Related Toxicity in Men Who Received Intensity Modulated Versus 3-Dimensional Conformal Radical Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2017; 99:1253-1260. [PMID: 28974414 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2017.07.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Revised: 07/20/2017] [Accepted: 07/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To compare, in a national population-based study, severe genitourinary (GU) and gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity in patients with prostate cancer who were treated with radical intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) or 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT). METHODS AND MATERIALS Patients treated with IMRT (n=6933) or 3D-CRT (n=16,289) between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2013 in the English National Health Service were identified using cancer registry data, the National Radiotherapy Dataset, and Hospital Episodes Statistics, the administrative database of care episodes in National Health Service hospitals. We developed a coding system that identifies severe toxicity (at least grade 3 according to the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events scoring system) according to the presence of a procedure and a corresponding diagnostic code in patients' Hospital Episodes Statistics records after radiation therapy. A competing risks regression analysis was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs), comparing the incidence of severe GI and GU complications after IMRT and 3D-CRT, adjusting for patient, disease, and treatment characteristics. RESULTS The use of IMRT, as opposed to 3D-CRT, increased from 3.1% in 2010 to 64.7% in 2013. Patients who received IMRT were less likely than those receiving 3D-CRT to experience severe GI toxicity (4.9 vs 6.5 per 100 person-years; adjusted HR 0.66; 95% confidence interval 0.61-0.72) but had similar levels of GU toxicity (2.3 vs 2.4 per 100 person-years; adjusted HR 0.94; 95% confidence interval 0.84-1.06). CONCLUSIONS Prostate cancer patients who received radical radiation therapy using IMRT were less likely to experience severe GI toxicity, and they had similar GU toxicity compared with those who received 3D-CRT. These findings in an unselected "real-world" population support the use of IMRT, but further cost-effectiveness studies are urgently required.
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