Mortality, morbidity and cost-effectiveness in radiotherapy
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Assessing national variation in the use and outcomes following radiotherapy and improving cost-effectiveness
IRAS ID
205769
Contact name
Katie Spencer
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Leeds
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 4 months, 30 days
Research summary
It is estimated that half of all people with cancer will require radiotherapy at some point during their treatment. In England approximately 130,000 treatments are delivered each year, divided equally between those delivered with a view to cure and those given to improve the symptoms of advanced disease.
NHS services are expected to provide clinically effective, safe care, delivering a positive experience for patients and aiming to reduce inequalities in access and outcomes. Tackling the variation seen across the country is a key priority and measures which are able to deliver objective assessments of this variation are frequently used to provide comparisons and guide changes in service.
Early mortality is a key measure in a range of interventions and its adoption as a measure following radiotherapy has been suggested in NHS England’s Improving Outcomes; A strategy for cancer document. The measure suggested differs with the intention of treatment; 90 day mortality is recommended for curative treatment and 30 day mortality for palliative treatments. No national comparisons of these measures have been made and their clinical value is unclear. In addition it must be recognised that in the context of treatments delivered near the end-of-life for symptom control balancing the burdens of treatment and the potential benefit is key; aiming for 30-day mortality of zero may result in patients being deprived potentially beneficial treatments.
This project will aim to investigate the variation in early mortality following radiotherapy across the English NHS. It will consider the factors impacting upon this variation and the value of these measures in routine clinical practise. It will go on to consider what levels of 30 day mortality for bone metastasis treatments would be if the treatments delivered are cost-effective and, importantly, consider the possible role of novel more expensive stereotactic treatments for bone metastases within the NHS.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - South Yorkshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/YH/0101
Date of REC Opinion
6 Apr 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion