Estimating the need for radiotherapy for patients with prostate, breast, and lung cancers: Verification of model estimates of need with radiotherapy utilization data from British Columbia

Abstract

Purpose: Estimates of the need for radiotherapy (RT) using different methods (criterion based benchmarking [CBB] and the Canadian [C-EBEST] and Australian [A-EBEST] epidemiologically based estimates) exist for various cancer sites. We compared these model estimates to actual RT rates for lung, breast, and prostate cancers in British Columbia (BC). Methods and Materials: All cases of lung, breast, and prostate cancers in BC from 1997 to 2004 and all patients receiving RT within 1 year (RT1Y) and within 5 years (RT 5Y) of diagnosis were identified. The RT1Y and RT 5Y proportions in health regions with a cancer center for the most recent year were then calculated. RT rates were compared with CB..