Japanese Structure Survey of Radiation Oncology in 2005 Based on Institutional Stratification of Patterns of Care Study

Teshima, Teruki; Numasaki, Hodaka; Shibuya, Hitoshi; Nishio, Masamichi; Ikeda, Hiroshi; Ito, Hisao; Sekiguchi, Kenji; Kamikonya, Norihiko; Koizumi, Masahiko; Tago, Masao; Nagata, Yasushi; Masaki, Hidekazu; Nishimura, Tetsuo; Yamada, Shogo; Japanese Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology Database Committee,

doi:10.1016/j.ijrobp.2007.12.047

« Previous Next »International Journal of Radiation Oncology * Biology * Physics
Volume 72, Issue 1 , Pages 144-152, 1 September 2008

Japanese Structure Survey of Radiation Oncology in 2005 Based on Institutional Stratification of Patterns of Care Study

Teruki Teshima, M.D.
- Department of Medical Physics and Engineering, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan
- Reprint requests to: Teruki Teshima, M.D., Department of Medical Physics and Engineering, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-7 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan. Tel: (+81) 6-6879-2570; Fax: (+81) 6-6879-2570
Hodaka Numasaki, M.S.
- Department of Medical Physics and Engineering, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan
Hitoshi Shibuya, M.D.
- Department of Radiology, Tokyo Dental and Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
Masamichi Nishio, M.D.
- Department of Radiology, National Hospital Organization Hokkaido Cancer Center, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
Hiroshi Ikeda, M.D.
- Division of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan
Hisao Ito, M.D.
- Department of Radiology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan
Kenji Sekiguchi, M.D.
- Department of Radiation Oncology, St. Luke's International Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
Norihiko Kamikonya, M.D.
- Department of Radiology, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan
Masahiko Koizumi, M.D.
- Department of Radiological Technology, Fujita Health University School of Health Sciences, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
Masao Tago, M.D.
- Department of Radiology, University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
Yasushi Nagata, M.D.
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Image-Applied Therapy, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
Hidekazu Masaki, M.D.
- Department of Radiology, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
Tetsuo Nishimura, M.D.
- Division of Radiation Oncology, Shizuoka Cancer Center, Shizuoka, Japan
Shogo Yamada, M.D.
- Tohoku University Hospital Cancer Center, Sendai, Japan
Japanese Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology Database Committee

Received 10 October 2007; received in revised form 12 December 2007; accepted 13 December 2007. published online 27 March 2008.

Purpose

To evaluate the structure of radiation oncology in Japan in terms of equipment, personnel, patient load, and geographic distribution to identify and improve any deficiencies.

Methods and Materials

A questionnaire-based national structure survey was conducted between March 2006 and February 2007 by the Japanese Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology. These data were analyzed in terms of the institutional stratification of the Patterns of Care Study.

Results

The total numbers of new cancer patients and total cancer patients (new and repeat) treated with radiotherapy in 2005 were estimated at approximately 162,000 and 198,000, respectively. In actual use were 765 linear accelerators, 11 telecobalt machines, 48 GammaKnife machines, 64 ⁶⁰Co remote-controlled after-loading systems, and 119 ¹⁹²Ir remote-controlled after-loading systems. The linear accelerator systems used dual-energy function in 498 systems (65%), three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy in 462 (60%), and intensity-modulated radiotherapy in 170 (22%). There were 426 Japanese Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology-certified radiation oncologists, 774 full-time equivalent radiation oncologists, 117 medical physicists, and 1,635 radiation therapists. Geographically, a significant variation was found in the use of radiotherapy, from 0.9 to 2.1 patients/1,000 population. The annual patient load/FTE radiation oncologist was 247, exceeding the Blue Book guidelines level. Patterns of Care Study stratification can clearly discriminate the maturity of structures according to their academic nature and caseload.

Conclusions

The Japanese structure has clearly improved during the past 15 years in terms of equipment and its use, although the shortage of manpower and variations in maturity disclosed by this Patterns of Care Study stratification remain problematic. These constitute the targets for nationwide improvement in quality assurance and quality control.

Structure survey, Radiotherapy facility, Radiotherapy personnel, Radiotherapy equipment, Caseload