Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40007123›Full record

ArticleJournal of medical radiation sciences2025

Hypofractionation Utilisation in Radiation Therapy: A Regional Department Evaluation.

Cyrena Tabet, Amy Brown, Catriona Hargrave, Savannah Brown

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of medical radiation sciences, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Cyrena TabetSchool of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0008-4054-4287
Amy BrownRadiation Therapy, Townsville Hospital and Health Service, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4520-2485
Catriona HargraveSchool of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4298-2228
Savannah BrownRadiation Therapy, Townsville Hospital and Health Service, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThere has been an uptake in hypofractionation radiotherapy schedules (> 2.45 Gy per fraction) worldwide over the last decade. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the change in fractionation schedules for patients undergoing radiotherapy in regional Queensland. The influence of treatment site, intent and patient social circumstances was assessed, identifying any current gaps in practice.

methodsThis retrospective clinical audit, included patients who underwent radiotherapy in 2012, 2019 and 2022 at a large regional department. This allowed a 10-year analysis and an evaluation of any impact of COVID-19. Demographic data and treatment information was collected and analysed using descriptive statistics.

resultsThere was a notable trend favouring hypofractionation for patients treated for breast and prostate cancer. In 2012, 62.7% of breast cancer patients were treated with conventional fractionation and 37.3% were treated with hypofractionation, versus 2.4% and 92.1%, respectively, in 2022. Prostate cancer fractionation changed from 99.4% of patients treated with conventional fractionation and 0.6% with hypofractionation in 2012 to 23.2% and 74.1%, respectively, in 2022. The standard of care also shifted for palliative intent, with lung, brain and bone metastases in 2022 being treated with increased hypofractionated and ultra-hypofractionated radiotherapy (> 5 Gy per fraction). This coincides with more complex and modulated treatments being readily available, such as stereotactic radiotherapy and volumetric modulated arc therapy. Hypofractionated treatments, however, were not influenced by the social factors of patients, having no distinct relationship with Indigenous status, age and patients' distance to treatment.

conclusionThis study has validated the increase in hypofractionated treatments over a range of cancer sites and treatment intents, with increased treatment complexity. This has a direct impact on both departmental resources and patient-centred care, offering value-based radiotherapy.

Indexed as

NeoplasmsRadiation Dose HypofractionationAdultAgedAged, 80 and overBreast NeoplasmsCOVID-19FemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedProstatic NeoplasmsQueenslandRetrospective StudiesAboriginal and Torres Strait islanderbreasthypofractionated radiotherapymodalityout‐of‐townpalliativeprostateregionalruralultrafractionated radiotherapy

Identifiers

PMID40007123
PMCPMC12449595

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.