Faculty Collaboration Database

How do you do it?: Gynecologic brachytherapy best practices at high volume institutions within the United States and Canada. Brachytherapy 2025;24(3):365-370

Date

02/05/2025

Pubmed ID

39904672

DOI

10.1016/j.brachy.2024.11.011

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85216888955 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   1 Citation

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Definitive treatment including chemoradiation and brachytherapy for patients diagnosed with locally advanced cervical cancer requires significant multidisciplinary coordination. Our goal was to assess and share gynecologic brachytherapy best practices from high volume brachytherapy centers.

METHODS: A survey was sent to 42 centers within the United States and Canada that perform a high volume of complex gynecologic brachytherapy.

RESULTS: Responses were collected from 32/42 (76%) institutions. 41% of responding institutions perform > 100 complex brachytherapy procedures per year. Most departments have >1 brachytherapist and 85% of respondents complete 1-2 complex brachytherapy procedures per day. 91% of surveyed departments have support staff specifically devoted to brachytherapy. Approximately 50% of intracavitary/hybrid procedures are performed in departmental brachytherapy suites. Institutions use MRI (35%), CT (24%) or a combination (24%) for treatment planning. 88% of respondents use sedation for tandem based procedures. Respondents cite high complexity of care, insufficient reimbursement, untimely referrals, shared operative and clinical duties, expensive applicator acquisition and complex scheduling as challenging aspects of providing brachytherapy services. Conversely, respondents cite a dedicated team, departmental brachytherapy suite, well organized coordination of procedures and personnel, anesthesia support, a full range of applicators, image-based planning near the department and supportive administration as integral components in providing brachytherapy.

CONCLUSIONS: Most surveyed institutions have >1 brachytherapist who perform 1-2 procedures per day in a dedicated brachytherapy space with a team that assists with coordination and scheduling efforts. A well supported multidisciplinary team is vital to ensure state of the art brachytherapy which is essential in curing these challenging malignancies.

Author List

Small C, Ortiz S, Bedi M, Joyner M, Fields E, Glaser S, Erickson B

Authors

Beth A. Erickson MD Professor in the Radiation Oncology department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Christina J. Small-Tom MD Assistant Professor in the Radiation Oncology department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Brachytherapy
Canada
Female
Genital Neoplasms, Female
Hospitals, High-Volume
Humans
Practice Guidelines as Topic
Practice Patterns, Physicians'
Surveys and Questionnaires
United States
Uterine Cervical Neoplasms