ArticleClinical oncology (Royal College of Radiologists (Great Britain))2023
The Impact of COVID-19 on Radiotherapy Services in Scotland, UK: A Population-based Study.
Article in Clinical oncology (Royal College of Radiologists (Great Britain)), 2023. 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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6 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.
- Utilization of radiotherapy and hypofractionated radiotherapy in Japan: long-term trends and the influence of COVID-19 pandemic.Journal of radiation research · 2026Article
- [Incidence of COVID-19 in cancer patients from the HIGA Alende, Mar del Plata, Argentina, 2020-2021]Revista de la Facultad de Ciencias Medicas (Cordoba, Argentina) · 2025Article
- Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on breast cancer patient pathways and outcomes in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland - a scoping review.British journal of cancer · 2024Article
- Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Hypofractionated Radiation Therapy Use for Breast Cancer in Japan: A Nationwide Study.Advances in radiation oncology · 2024Article
- The Radiation Therapist profession through the lens of new technology: A practice development paper based on the ESTRO Radiation Therapist Workshops.Technical innovations & patient support in radiation oncology · 2024Article
- The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on radiotherapy delivery in Japan: An observational study based on the national database.Cancer medicine · 2023Observational
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8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
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Abstract
aimsThe effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer radiotherapy services is largely unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of the resultant contingency plans on radiotherapy cancer services in Scotland. MATERIALS AND
methodsDetailed data of radiotherapy activity at our centre were collected from 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2021. Differences in mean weekly radiotherapy courses, dose and fractionation patterns and treatment intent were compared with corresponding pre-pandemic months for all treatment sites. Qualitative data were collected for a subgroup of radical radiotherapy patients.
resultsTotal radiotherapy courses decreased from 6968 to 6240 (-10%) compared with the previous year, prior to the pandemic. Average weekly radiotherapy courses delivered were 134 (standard deviation ±13), decreasing by 10% to 120 (standard deviation 15) (Welch's t-test, P < 0.001). The greatest decrease in new start treatment courses was observed from May to August 2020 (-7.7%, -24.0%, -16.7% and -18.7%) compared with the corresponding months in 2019. A significant reduction was seen for female patients <70 years (-16%) compared with females >70 years (-8%) or their male counterparts (-7% and -6%, respectively). By diagnosis, the largest reductions between pre- and post-pandemic levels were for anal (-26%), breast (-18%) and prostate (-14%) cancer. Contrarily, a significant increase was found for bladder (28%) and oesophageal (11%) cancers.
conclusionsOver the first 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, radiotherapy activity significantly decreased compared with the 12 months prior. Due to issued guidance, the use of hypofractionated regimens increased, contributing to the reduction in treatments for some tumour sites. An increase in other tumour sites can probably be attributed to the reduction or cancellation of surgical interventions. These results will inform our understanding of the indirect consequences of the pandemic on radiotherapy services.
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