Radiation Therapy Documentation Deficiencies in Cancer Survivorship Documents.
| Title: | Radiation Therapy Documentation Deficiencies in Cancer Survivorship Documents. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Loperena MF; The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA.; Kouzy R; Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.; Thomas R; Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.; Cha EE; Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.; Manzar G; Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.; Paulino AC; Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.; Yoder AK; Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA. Electronic address: ayoder@mdanderson.org. |
| Source: | Practical radiation oncology [Pract Radiat Oncol] 2026 May 04. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 May 04. |
| Publication Model: | Ahead of Print |
| Publication Type: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Journal Info: | Publisher: Elsevier Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 101558279 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1879-8519 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 18798500 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Pract Radiat Oncol Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: New York : Elsevier |
| Abstract: | Purpose: Survivorship care plans (SCPs) and treatment summaries (TS) are intended to bridge oncology and primary care, yet it is unclear how well publicly available templates capture radiation therapy (RT) details necessary for safe, coordinated follow-up. We evaluated RT content in U.S. society-sponsored, non-paywalled SCP/TS templates against elements recommended by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).; Methods and Materials: We identified SCP/TS templates from national medical organizations via targeted web searches. Guided by the ASTRO survivorship template, we abstracted the presence of RT variables including site, technique/modality, total dose, dose per fraction, fractionation, special procedures (e.g., brachytherapy), treatment dates, toxicity, sequencing within multimodality care, concurrent chemotherapy, and radiation oncology contact information. Variables were recorded as present/absent and summarized descriptively.; Results: Eighteen templates met inclusion; 11/18 (61.1%) were by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and 14/18 (77.8%) targeted adult populations. RT was mentioned in 17/18 (94.4%), and a radiation oncology contact was listed in 15/18 (83.3%). Key technical details were uncommon: total dose and/or modality 6/18 (33.3%); dose per fraction 4/18 (22.2%); fractionation 5/18 (27.8%); special procedures 3/18 (16.7%); toxicity 2/18 (11.1%). No template captured RT sequencing within multimodality therapy or concurrent chemotherapy. Treatment end dates were more commonly captured than start dates. The Children's Oncology Group (COG) template was the most comprehensive across RT variables.; (Copyright © 2026 American Society for Radiation Oncology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.) |
| Competing Interests: | Conflicts of Interest Co-author Dr. Gohar Manza, MD PhD has received grants/contracts from ASCO and ASTRO in the past 36 months. No funding from these or any other entities supported this work. |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: cancer survivors; cancer treatment summary; radiation therapy; survivorship care plan |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260507 Latest Revision: 20260507 |
| Update Code: | 20260507 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.prro.2026.03.014 |
| PMID: | 42092691 |
| Database: | MEDLINE |
Journal Article