Distance Traveled by Patients Globally to Access Radiation Therapy: A Systematic Review.

Autor:	Silverwood S; Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Electronic address: silverwo@msu.edu., Lichter K; Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, California., Conway A; Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover, New Hampshire., Drew T; Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois., McComas KN; Department of Radiation Oncology Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee., Zhang S; Biostatistics Analysis Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania., Gopakumar GM; University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania., Abdulbaki H; University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, California., Smolen KA; Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover, New Hampshire., Mohamad O; Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, California., Grover S; Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Botswana-UPenn Partnership, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics [Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys] 2024 Mar 15; Vol. 118 (4), pp. 891-899. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Nov 09.
DOI:	10.1016/j.ijrobp.2023.10.030
Abstrakt:	Purpose: This study aimed to systematically review the literature on the travel patterns of patients seeking radiation therapy globally. It examined the distance patients travel for radiation therapy as well as secondary outcomes, including travel time. Methods and Materials: A comprehensive search of 4 databases was conducted from June 2022 to August 2022. Studies were included in the review if they were observational, retrospective, randomized/nonrandomized, published between June 2000 and June 2022, and if they reported on the global distance traveled for radiation therapy in the treatment of malignant or benign disease. Studies were excluded if they did not report travel distance or were not written in English. Results: Of the 168 studies, most were conducted in North America (76.3%), with 90.7% based in the United States. Radiation therapy studies for treating patients with breast cancer were the most common (26.6%), while external beam radiation therapy was the most prevalent treatment modality (16.6%). Forty-six studies reported the mean distance traveled for radiation therapy, with the shortest being 4.8 miles in the United States and the longest being 276.5 miles in Iran. It was observed that patients outside of the United States traveled greater distances than those living within the United States. Geographic location, urban versus rural residence, and patient population characteristics affected the distance patients traveled for radiation therapy. Conclusions: This systematic review provides the most extensive summary to date of the travel patterns of patients seeking radiation therapy globally. The results suggest that various factors may contribute to the variability in travel distance patterns, including treatment center location, patient residence, and treatment modality. Overall, the study highlights the need for more research to explore these factors and to develop effective strategies for improving radiation therapy access and reducing travel burden. (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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