Table 2.

Prompts regarding the appropriateness of RT.

Prompt		ROs (n=22)			MS1s (n=315)					MS4s (n=404)					PCPs (n=43)					MS4s or PCPs with RO rotation in med school (n=42)
		n answering “YES”	n answering “NO”	Agreement	n answering “YES”	% answering correctly	Chi-squared p-value	95% CI		n answering “YES”	% answering correctly	Chi-squared p-value	95% CI		n answering “YES”	% answering correctly	Chi-squared p-value	95% CI		n answering “YES”	% answering correctly	Chi-squared p-value	95% CI
RT can be used to cure (i.e. not just palliate) certain cancers	• alone	22	0	100%	236	75%	0.007	0.70	0.80	338	84%	0.04	0.80	0.87	37	86%	0.07	0.76	0.96	41	98%	0.47	0.87	1.00
	• with surgery	21	1	95%	264	84%	0.13	0.80	0.88	353	87%	0.16	0.84	0.91	39	91%	0.17	0.82	0.99	40	95%	0.94	0.84	0.99
	• with chemo	21	1	95%	269	85%	0.18	0.81	0.89	343	85%	0.17	0.81	0.88	38	88%	0.38	0.79	0.98	40	95%	0.94	0.84	0.99
Radiation RT can be used as a part of the standard initial management of the following conditions:	• Arteriovenous malformations	22	0	100%	110	35%	<0.0001	0.30	0.40	169	42%	<0.0001	0.37	0.47	19	44%	<0.0001	0.29	0.59	33	79%	0.02	0.66	0.91
	• Breast cancer	21	1	95%	277	88%	0.29	0.84	0.92	342	85%	0.16	0.81	0.88	36	84%	0.17	0.73	0.95	39	93%	0.68	0.81	0.99
	• Kidney cancer	1	21	5%	234	13%	<0.0001	0.10	0.17	216	36%	<0.001	0.31	0.41	24	26%	<0.001	0.13	0.39	18	38%	<0.0001	0.23	0.53
	• Lung cancer	22	0	100%	24	8%	<0.0001	0.09	0.16	317	78%	0.02	0.74	0.82	38	88%	0.10	0.79	0.98	41	98%	0.47	0.87	1.00
	• Lymphoma	22	0	100%	181	57%	<0.0001	0.52	0.63	228	56%	<0.0001	0.52	0.61	30	70%	<0.001	0.56	0.83	31	74%	0.008	0.61	0.87
	• Pancreatic cancer	21	1	95%	229	73%	0.018	0.68	0.78	216	53%	<0.0001	0.49	0.58	22	51%	<0.0001	0.36	0.66	24	57%	0.002	0.42	0.72
	• Prostate cancer	22	0	100%	279	89%	0.09	0.85	0.92	366	91%	0.13	0.88	0.93	39	91%	0.14	0.82	1.0	40	95%	0.3	0.84	0.99
	• Spinal cord compression from cancer	22	0	100%	155	49%	<0.0001	0.44	0.55	289	72%	<0.001	0.67	0.76	32	74%	0.01	0.61	0.87	39	93%	0.19	0.81	0.99
	• Superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome	22	0	100%	90	29%	<0.0001	0.24	0.34	213	53%	<0.0001	0.48	0.58	26	60%	<0.001	0.46	0.75	34	81%	0.03	0.69	0.93
	• Urosepsis	0	22	0%	81	57%	0.006	0.51	0.62	27	82%	0.22	0.78	0.86	0	72%	<0.001	0.59	0.85	1	86%	0.46	0.75	0.96
For prostate cancer, proton therapy is associated with improved outcomes compared to conventional radiation therapy.		0	22	0%	235	12%	<0.0001	0.09	0.16	253	63%	<0.0001	0.58	0.67	27	21%	<0.0001	0.09	0.33	14	67%	0.002	0.52	0.81
IMRT stands for: Intensity modulated radiation therapy		22	0	100%	152	48%	<0.0001	0.43	0.54	225	56%	<0.0001	0.51	0.61	24	56%	<0.0001	0.41	0.71	35	83%	0.04	0.72	0.95
Radiation therapy is never used in pediatric cancers due to the high risk of a second cancer and/or developmental defects.		0	22	100%	94	70%	0.008	0.65	0.75	84	76%	0.02	0.72	0.80	3	86%	0.01	0.76	0.96	3	93%	0.2	0.81	0.99
Once an area receives radiation, it cannot be radiated again.		1	21	95%	24	90%	0.59	0.86	0.93	37	88%	0.45	0.85	0.91	11	67%	0.01	0.53	0.81	4	90%	0.13	0.82	0.99
Radiation therapy is almost always used for palliation (i.e. to improve symptoms but not to cure).		1	21	95%	64	77%	0.07	0.72	0.81	40	89%	0.41	0.86	0.92	36	84%	<0.001	0.73	0.95	41	98%	0.63	0.87	1.00

Abbreviations: CI: confidence interval MS1: first year medical student; MS4: fourth year medical student; PCP: primary care physician; RO: radiation oncologist/oncology; RT: radiation therapy

Note: p-values < 0.05 are in red boxes; others are in green.