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European French-speaking study from the GEMO group on bone metastases management: a special focus on external beam radiotherapy practice survey

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Abstract

Background and purpose

This study seeks to perform a survey of patterns of practice among the different physicians involved in the bone metastases management, with special focus on external beam radiotherapy (EBRT).

Methods and materials

A questionnaire about bone metastases based on clinical cases and supplemented with general questions, including medical therapies, EBRT and metabolic radiotherapy strategies, surgery, and supportive care approaches, was sent to 4,706 French-speaking physicians in Belgium, France, Luxemburg, and Switzerland.

Results

Overall, 644 questionnaires were analyzed. Twenty-eight percent concerned the radiotherapy approach and were judged adequate to respond to the part dedicated to EBRT. Sixty-nine percent of physicians used a total dose irradiation of 30 Gy delivered in ten fractions. A large majority (75%) used two opposed fields prescribed at mid-depth (30%), or with non-equally weighted fields (45%). Seventy percent irradiated also above and below the concerned vertebra. A dosimetry planning treatment was done in 85% and high-energy megavoltage photons were used in 42%. Moreover, 54% physicians used short course radiotherapy in routine.

Conclusions

Radiotherapy remains the mainstay of treatment of bone metastases, but there is substantial heterogeneity in clinical practice. Guidelines and treatment protocols are required to improve the treatment quality.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the different physicians for their kind and important participation. This study was promoted by the Groupe Européen d’Etude des Métastases Osseuses (GEMO).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest related to this work.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Nicolas Magné

    Present address: Département de Radiothérapie, Institut Gustave Roussy, 39 rue Camille Desmoulins, 94805, Villejuif Cedex, France

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Département de Radio-Oncologie, Institut Jules Bordet, Bruxelles, Belgium

    Nicolas Magné

  2. Département de Radiothérapie, Institut Gustave Roussy, 39 rue Camille Desmoulins, 94805, Villejuif Cedex, France

    Cyrus Chargari

  3. Service de Radio-Oncologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland

    René Olivier Mirimanoff

  4. Service de Médecine Nucléaire, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nancy, Nancy, France

    Pierre Olivier

  5. Service de Médecine Nucléaire, Hôpital A. Michallon, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Grenoble, Grenoble, France

    Jean Philippe Vuillez

  6. Département d’Oncologie Médicale, Centre René Huguenin, Saint-Cloud, Paris, France

    Michèle Tubiana-Hulin

  7. Département de Médecine Interne, Institut Jules Bordet, Bruxelles, Belgium

    Jean Jacques Body

  8. Service d’Oncologie Radiothérapie, Assistance Publique des Hopitaux de Paris, Hôpital Henri Mondor, Créteil, Université Paris 12, Paris, France

    Jean Léon Lagrange

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  1. Nicolas Magné
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nicolas Magné.

Additional information

Groupe Européen d’Etudes des Métastases Osseuses

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Magné, N., Chargari, C., Mirimanoff, R.O. et al. European French-speaking study from the GEMO group on bone metastases management: a special focus on external beam radiotherapy practice survey. Support Care Cancer 19, 1565–1572 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-010-0983-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-010-0983-x

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