ArticleJAMA network open2022
Geographic Accessibility and Availability of Radiotherapy in Ghana.
Article in JAMA network open, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 19 citations in OpenAlex.
- Paving the way for more accessible cancer care in low-income countries with optimization.Health care management science · 2026Article
- A high-resolution geospatial analysis of radiation therapy access in the Philippines.Ecancermedicalscience · 2026Article
- Breast Cancer Care in Ghana: A Review of the Continuum of Care and Progress Toward Universal Health Coverage.International journal of breast cancer · 2026Review
- Article
- Expanding Access to Computed Tomographic Staging and Three-Dimensional Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy for Cervical Cancer in Ghana.JCO global oncology · 2024Article
- Hospitalizations for congenital syphilis in children under one year old in the state of Pará, Brazilian Amazon: ecological study.BMC pediatrics · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
10 authors at 5 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Importance: Radiotherapy is critical for comprehensive cancer care, but there are large gaps in access. Within Ghana, data on radiotherapy availability and on the relationship between distance and access are unknown. Objectives: To estimate the gaps in radiotherapy machine availability in Ghana and to describe the association between distance and access to care. Design, Setting, and Participants: This is a cross-sectional, population-based study of radiotherapy delivery in Ghana in 2020 and model-based analysis of radiotherapy demand and the radiotherapy utilization rate (RUR) using the Global Task Force on Radiotherapy for Cancer Control investment framework. Exposures: Receipt of radiotherapy and the number of radiotherapy courses delivered. Main Outcomes and Measures: Geocoded location of patients receiving external beam radiotherapy (EBRT); median Euclidean distance from the district centroids to the nearest radiotherapy centers; proportion of population living within geographic buffer zones of 100, 150, and 200 km; additional capacity required for optimal utilization; and geographic accessibility after strategic location of a radiotherapy facility in an underserviced region. Results: A total of 2883 patients underwent EBRT courses in 2020, with an actual RUR of 11%. Based on an optimal RUR of 48%, 11 524 patients had an indication for radiotherapy, indicating that only 23% of patients received treatment. An investment of 23 additional EBRT machines would be required to meet demand. The median Euclidean distance from the district centroids to the nearest radiotherapy facility was 110.6 km (range, 0.62-513.2 km). The proportion of the total population living within a radius of 100, 150 and 200 km of a radiotherapy facility was 47%, 61% and 70%, respectively. A new radiotherapy facility in the northern regional capital would reduce the median of Euclidean distance by 10% to 99.4 km (range, 0.62-267.7 km) and increase proportion of the total population living within a radius of 100, 150 and 200 km to 53%, 69% and 84%, respectively. The greatest benefit was seen in regions in the northern half of Ghana. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cross-sectional study of geographic accessibility and availability of radiotherapy, Ghana had major national deficits of radiotherapy capacity, with significant geographic disparities among regions. Well-planned infrastructure scale-up that accounts for the population distribution could improve radiotherapy accessibility.
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