Table 2.
Effect of various strategies to maximize infrastructure utilization in terms of percent RT access and additional megavoltage teleradiotherapy units required by various countries in Asia for 2020
| Parameters | All Asian countries∗,† |
Low- and middle-income countries∗,† |
High-income countries∗,† |
Unclassified countries∗,† |
||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Mean | Range |
Total | Mean | Range |
Total | Mean | Range |
Total | Mean | Range |
|||||
| Low | High | Low | High | Low | High | Low | High | |||||||||
| Patients with cancer | 9.08M | 0.19M | 457 | 4.51M | 7.56M | 0.24M | 457 | 4.51M | 1.30M | 0.10M | 993 | 0.90M | 0.21M | 0.05M | 14073 | 0.11M |
| Patients requiring RT | 5.49M | 0.11M | 276 | 2.73M | 4.57M | 0.14M | 276 | 2.73M | 0.78M | 0.06M | 601 | 0.54M | 0.13M | 0.03M | 8514 | 0.07M |
| SFRT (8 h/d) | ||||||||||||||||
| Percent RT access | - | 62.4 | 4.3 | 174.7 | - | 50.6 | 10.1 | 139.9 | - | 99.8% | 45.2 | 174.7 | - | 29.6 | 4.3 | 85.0 |
| Total TRT required | 10,965 | 255 | 1 | 5462 | 9130 | 338.15 | 7 | 5462 | 1576 | 131.3 | 1 | 1095 | 259 | 64.7 | 17 | 142 |
| Additional TRT required | 6474 | 150.5 | –5 | 3818 | 5987 | 221.7 | –5 | 3818 | 360 | 30.0 | –1 | 194 | 127 | 31.7 | 16 | 67 |
| With HFRT in routine working schedule of 8 hours | ||||||||||||||||
| Percent RT access | - | 74.9 | 5.2 | 209.7 | - | 60.8 | 12.1 | 167.9 | - | 119.8 | 54.2 | 209.7 | - | 35.5 | 5.2 | 102.1 |
| Total TRT required | 9139 | 212.5 | 1 | 4552 | 7610 | 281.8 | 6 | 4552 | 1313 | 109.4 | 1 | 912 | 216 | 54.0 | 14 | 119 |
| Additional TRT required | 4646 | 108.0 | –41 | 2908 | 4466 | 165.4 | –41 | 2908 | 96 | 8.0 | –30 | 135 | 84 | 21.0 | –2 | 55 |
| With 25% additional working hours and SFRT | ||||||||||||||||
| Percent RT access | - | 78.0 | 5.4 | 218.4 | - | 63.3 | 12.6 | 174.9 | - | 124.8 | 56.5 | 218.4 | - | 37.0 | 5.4 | 106.2 |
| Total TRT required | 8773 | 204.0 | 1 | 4370 | 7305 | 270.5 | 6 | 4370 | 1261 | 105.0 | 1 | 876 | 207 | 51.8 | 14 | 114 |
| Additional TRT required | 4284 | 99.6 | –66 | 2726 | 4163 | 154.1 | –50 | 2726 | 45 | 3.7 | –66 | 123 | 76 | 19.0 | –7 | 53 |
| With 25% additional working hours and HFRT | ||||||||||||||||
| Percent RT access | - | 90.5 | 6.2 | 253.4 | - | 73.5 | 14.7 | 202.9 | - | 144.8 | 65.5 | 253.4 | - | 42.9 | 6.2 | 123.2 |
| Total TRT required | 7564 | 175.9 | 1 | 3767 | 6300 | 233.3 | 5 | 3767 | 1085 | 90.4 | 1 | 755 | 179 | 44.7 | 12 | 98 |
| Additional TRT required | 3073 | 71.4 | –187 | 2123 | 3157 | 116.9 | –80 | 2123 | –131 | –10.9 | –187 | 84 | 47 | 11.7 | –23 | 45 |
| With 50% additional working hours and SFRT | ||||||||||||||||
| Percent RT access | - | 93.7 | 6.4 | 262.1 | - | 76.0 | 15.2 | 209.9 | - | 149.84 | 67.8 | 262.1 | - | 44.4 | 6.4 | 127.5 |
| Total TRT required | 7311 | 170.0 | 1 | 3642 | 6088 | 225.4 | 5 | 3642 | 1051 | 87.5 | 1 | 730 | 173 | 43.2 | 11 | 95 |
| Additional TRT required | 2820 | 65.5 | –212 | 1998 | 2945 | 109.0 | –86 | 1998 | –166 | –13.8 | –212 | 76 | 41 | 10.2 | –26 | 44 |
| With 50% additional working hours and HFRT | ||||||||||||||||
| Percent RT access | - | 106.1 | 7.3 | 297.0 | - | 86.1 | 17.2 | 237.9 | - | 169.8 | 76.8 | 297 | - | 50.3 | 7.3 | 144.5 |
| Total TRT required | 6451 | 150.0 | 1 | 3213 | 5371 | 198.9 | 4 | 3213 | 927 | 77.2 | 1 | 644 | 153 | 38.1 | 10 | 84 |
| Additional TRT required | 1958 | 45.5 | –298 | 1569 | 2225 | 82.4 | –107 | 1569 | –288 | –24.0 | –298 | 48 | 21 | 5.2 | –37 | 38 |
Abbreviations: HFRT = hypofractionated radiation therapy; M = million; RT = radiation therapy; SFRT = standard fractionated radiation therapy; TRT = teleradiotherapy units.
Data available from various public domains varied - cancer incidence from Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN) (n = 47/51); TRT status from DIrectory of Radiotherapy Centres (DIRAC), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) (n = 44/51), and gross national income (GNI)/capita from The World Bank (n = 45/51). Thus, values for patients with cancer and patients requiring RT are for 47 Asian countries, 31 lower-middle-income countries, 12 high-income, and 4 unclassified countries.
Correspondingly, values for percent of RT access, total TRT required, and additional TRT required are for 43 Asian countries, 27 lower-middle-income countries, 12 high-income, and 4 unclassified countries.