S1406
Interdisciplinary - Health economics & health services research
ESTRO 2026
References: [1] Addario BJ, Fadich A, Fox J, Krebs L, Maskens D, Oliver K, et al. Patient value: Perspectives from the advocacy community. Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy. 2018;21:57–63.[2] Borras JM, Corral J, Aggarwal A, Audisio R, Espinas JA, Figueras J, et al. Innovation, value and reimbursement in radiation and complex surgical oncology: Time to rethink. Radiotherapy and oncology : journal of the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology. 2022;169:114–23.[3] Tricco AC, Lillie E, Zarin W, O'Brien KK, Colquhoun H, Levac D, et al. PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR): Checklist and Explanation. Ann Intern Med. 2018;169:467–73. Keywords: Patient priority; patient-centred radiotherapy
Purpose/Objective: Understanding the resources and operational workflows specific to Particle Therapy (PT) is essential for evaluating effective implementation and accurate cost assessment across centres. This survey analysis provides data on the profiles of European PT centres, offering insights into available resources, indications treated, and operational workflows. These findings complement prior work ¹ and support the development of a PT costing tool. Material/Methods: A web-based questionnaire with 44 questions was developed to mirror the ESTRO-HERO costing model. The questions tailored to capture the similarities between PT and external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and PT unique characteristics. The survey consisted of five sections: (1) centre profile, including patient volume, treatment rooms, and infrastructure type; (2) treatment protocols and indications, differentiated for adult and paediatric patients; (3–4) detailed care pathway steps, personnel profiles, and equipment requirements; and (5) time-related questions. The survey was distributed to all 33 European PT centres within the ESTRO Network between December 2024 and May 2025, including 23 operational centres and 10 in the planning phase. Results: The overall response rate was 51%; 14/23 (61%) of the operational centres completed the survey, while only 3/10 (30%) planning centres responded, the remaining 7 centres being unable to report data yet. Table 1 summarises the profiles of the 17 responding centres, including activity parameters (courses and fractions delivered). Brain tumours were the most frequent indications in paediatric and adult patients (59% and 82%, respectively). In paediatric patients, spinal cord was the next most common (53%), whereas in adults, spinal cord and tumours of the nasal cavity, sinuses, and middle ear were equally frequent (71%). Care pathway steps, from initial assessment to post-treatment evaluation, are summarised in Figure 1A. In addition to the activities in the original model, PT-specific activities (plan comparison) and new
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Scenario exploration using automatic patient scheduling: A tool for radiation therapy resource optimization Ivar Bengtsson 1 , Sophie Wuyckens 1 , Geert De Kerf 2 , Elin Hynning 1 , Albin Fredriksson 1 , Viktor Wase 1 1 Research, RaySearch Laboratories, Stockholm, Sweden. 2 Radiation Oncology, Iridium Netwerk, Antwerpen, Belgium
activities (adaptive radiotherapy) were incorporated. As to resources, personnel
Proffered Paper 2695
requirements were consistent with EBRT practice, as was treatment simulation equipment, although more recent modalities such as gating and surface guidance for motion monitoring were mentioned. Treatment delivery equipment differed substantially from EBRT; Figure 1B shows PT-specific equipment and delivery modalities. Impacts of delays in particle delivery on overall treatment schedules were predominantly minimal or moderate (67% each).
Insights on Resources Utilisation of Particle Therapy Centres: A European Survey to Support the Development of a Costing Model Yaqeen Walid Shanti 1 , Delphine De Smedt 1 , Sophie Hoozée 2 , Barbara Vanderstraeten 1,3 , Yolande Lievens 1,3 1 Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. 2 Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. 3 Radiation Oncology Department, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
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