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Does a radiographer-led palliative radiotherapy pathway provide an efficient service for patients with symptoms of advanced cancer? The Northampton experience

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 May 2020

M. Graveling Open the ORCID record for M. Graveling [Opens in a new window] ,
K. Jarral  and
A. Gore
M. Graveling*
Affiliation:
South East Midlands Oncology Centre, Radiotherapy Department, Northampton General Hospital, Cliftonville, NorthamptonNN1 5BD, UK
K. Jarral
Affiliation:
South East Midlands Oncology Centre, Radiotherapy Department, Northampton General Hospital, Cliftonville, NorthamptonNN1 5BD, UK
A. Gore
Affiliation:
South East Midlands Oncology Centre, Radiotherapy Department, Northampton General Hospital, Cliftonville, NorthamptonNN1 5BD, UK
*
Author for correspondence: Michael Graveling, South East Midlands Oncology Centre, Radiotherapy Department, Northampton General Hospital, Cliftonville, NorthamptonNN1 5BD, UK. E-mail: Michael.Graveling@ngh.nhs.uk
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Abstract

Aim:

To investigate whether a radiographer-led radiotherapy pathway can provide an efficient service for patients requiring treatment for symptomatic skeletal metastases.

Materials and Methods:

A retrospective review of 425 courses of palliative radiotherapy was conducted. Data was analysed assessing diagnosis, dose/fractionation, time from referral to treatment, gender, age, inpatient/outpatient status and referring clinic location for radiographer- and clinical oncologist-led cohorts.

Results:

Patients aged ≥70 years were more likely to be planned by radiographers (n = 162/57, p < 0·001). Patients were more likely to be treated with 8 Gy in single fraction than with 20 Gy in five fractions (n = 279/136, p = 0·012). The median referral to treatment time in 8-Gy single-fraction prescriptions was 3 days for radiographer-led versus 7 days for clinical oncologist-led cohorts. In all patients and in 20 Gy in five-fraction prescriptions, it was 4 versus 8 days. A comparison of all prescriptions (p < 0·001), 8 Gy in single-fraction (p < 0·001) and 20 Gy in five-fraction prescriptions (p = 0·001) showed radiographer-led procedures as enabling faster access to treatment in each category.

Findings:

A radiographer-led service can facilitate faster access to treatment than a clinical oncologist-led pathway for an appropriately selected patient caseload.

Keywords

palliative radiotherapyradiographer-led planningrole extension
Type
Original Article
Information
Journal of Radiotherapy in Practice , Volume 20 , Issue 2 , June 2021 , pp. 126 - 131
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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