Looking Back: International Practice Patterns in Breast Radiation Oncology From a Case-Based Survey Across 54 Countries During the First Surge of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

A global survey of 1,103 breast radiation oncologists across 54 nations during the initial surge of the COVID-19 pandemic revealed changes in practices including omission, delay of RT because of resource allocation, and notably, adoption of shorter RT courses for DCIS, early-stage breast cancer, postmastectomy with and without reconstruction, regional nodes, and metastatic disease. Publications of notable clinical trials supporting moderate and ultrahypofractionation reported during the pandemic may have further accelerated this adoption, particularly in early-stage and postmastectomy settings. Time will tell if the adoption of shorter courses of breast radiation therapy has become the standard of care globally.