Patterns of practice in palliative radiotherapy for bleeding tumours in the Netherlands; a survey study among radiation oncologists

Abstract Background and purpose Palliative radiotherapy (RT) is one of the treatment options for bleeding tumours; a frequent symptom in patients with advanced cancer. The optimal RT schedule is however unclear. This study explores the current pattern of practice of palliative RT for bleeding tumours in the Netherlands. Materials and methods An internet-based questionnaire, including respondent characteristics, factors influencing the choice of RT schedules and five patient case scenarios, was sent to all members of the Dutch Society for Radiation Oncology. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate the results. Results The response rate was 125/374 (34%); representing 20 out of 21 Dutch RT departments. Most reported influencing factors were performance status, prognosis, patients’ comfort and patients’ choice. Most preferred RT schedules were 1x8 Gy for hematemesis, 1x8 Gy and 5x4 Gy for haemoptysis, 5x4 Gy for haematuria, 5x5 Gy for rectal bleeding, 1x8 Gy, 5x4 Gy and 10-13x3 Gy for vaginal bleeding. Conclusions The current patterns of practice in the Netherlands for bleeding tumours varied considerably. Most often a single fraction is chosen (35% of all cases), followed by a five-fraction schedule (30% of all cases). The choice of an RT schedule is mainly influenced by patient related factors.