Publication
Title
Hospital variation in referral for primary radiotherapy in South Netherlands, 1988-1999
Author
Abstract
In this study, we have assessed whether referral for primary radiotherapy varied according to hospital size in a region with 1 million inhabitants served by community hospitals. We studied 20178 patients diagnosed with breast, non-small cell lung, prostate, rectal, or endometrial cancer between 1988 and 1999. We used logistic regression analysis, adjusted for age, stage and period of diagnosis. Medium-sized and small hospitals referred breast cancer patients more often (OR = 2.2, 95%CI: 2.0-2.5, OR = 1.2, 95%Cl: 1.1-1.4, respectively), and patients with prostate cancer less often (OR = 0.7 (0.5-0.8) and 0.7 (0.6-0.9), respectively). Referral rates for patients with non-small cell lung and rectal cancer showed minor differences according to hospital size, referral for endometrial cancer was somewhat higher for patients from medium-sized hospitals (OR = 1.5 (1.0-2.1)). Time trends in variation were shown, but differences according to hospital size only decreased over time for rectal cancer. Despite multidisciplinary oncology meetings and treatment guidelines there were large variations in rates of referral for radiotherapy. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Language
English
Source (journal)
European journal of cancer. - Oxford, 1990, currens
Publication
Oxford : 2005
ISSN
0959-8049 [print]
1879-0852 [online]
DOI
10.1016/J.EJCA.2005.04.048
Volume/pages
41 :17 (2005) , p. 2722-2727
ISI
000233928300031
Pubmed ID
16242315
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Publication type
Subject
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 08.11.2021
Last edited 22.12.2024
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