Improving Radiotherapy Treatment Planning for Patients with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma in Low and Middle Income Countries

This CRP has as its primary objective to reduce death (mortality) and suffering (morbidity) from nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) by improving the quality of radiotherapy treatment. Epidemiological data from GLOBOCAN 2012 show that the total number of new cases of NPC in the world amounted to 86 691 and that the number of deaths was 50 828. This cancer has a uniquely skewed geographic distribution: 81% of new cases occurred in Asia and 9% in Africa. Among all countries, China had the largest number of new patients in 2012 (33 198). There is a clear correlation between the quality of radiotherapy plans and clinical outcomes in this disease.
The CRP will investigate and identify gaps in the process of treatment planning which may be responsible for poor outcomes in patients treated in high incidence countries. The CRP will include a focused survey and ‘dry run’ exercises on treatment planning for NPC with identification of inaccuracies and uncertainties. There is provision for a training event for radiation oncologists in participating centres followed by a new series of treatment planning exercises. Local quality assurance (QA) committees will be set up in participating centres as well as a central QA committee to review all radiotherapy plans.
The CRP includes the initiation of an online meetings network (NPCnet) for the technical discussion of NPC radiotherapy plans.