Publications by authors named "Allison Ashworth"
Article Synopsis
- - The study focused on the treatment of Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) in Ontario, Canada from 2010 to 2019, comparing different management approaches, including Stereotactic Ablative Body Radiotherapy (SABR), surgery, and observation.
- - Over the study period, the use of surgery decreased significantly while SABR usage increased, indicating a shift in treatment preferences, with a notable rise in 2-year cancer-specific survival rates for Stage I patients.
- - Findings also highlighted significant variations in treatment practices across different health regions in Ontario, underscoring the need for improved access to SABR therapy.
Article Synopsis
- About 30% of people with non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) have stage III cancer when they find out they're sick, and half of them get treated with special chemotherapy and radiation.
- A study looked at 195 patients treated from 2010 to 2021 to see what factors affect their chances of getting brain cancer after treatment.
- Out of these patients, many had complications; 43% got any kind of cancer spread and 17% developed brain cancer, especially if they had more severe disease or certain treatment-related factors.
Article Synopsis
- Despite twice-daily radiotherapy schedules being generally better, their practical use is complicated, leading to the adoption of hypofractionated radiotherapy (HFRT) as an alternative.
- A study compared outcomes and toxicities in patients with limited-stage small-cell lung cancer treated with either twice-daily or hypofractionated schedules from 2007 to 2019.
- The analysis of 173 patients showed no significant differences in overall survival, locoregional recurrence, or severe toxicity between the two treatment methods.
Purpose: Timely lung cancer care has been associated with improved clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction. We identified improvement opportunities in lung cancer management pathways at Kingston Health Sciences Centre. Quality improvement strategies led to the implementation of a multidisciplinary lung cancer clinic (MDC).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To recognize the practice of radiotherapy for management of cervical cancer in Ontario, Canada, and to use the results of the survey to harmonize and standardize practice across the province.
Methods And Materials: An electronic survey (SurveyMonkey) was sent to all 14 provincial cancer centers by Cancer Care Ontario Gynecology Community of Practice (CoP) in 2013. The survey included 72 questions in four different categories: general/demographic, pretreatment assessment, external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), and brachytherapy (BT).
Multidisciplinary cancer clinics (MDCCs) are recognized in cancer care as an alternate model of care for lung cancer patients. However, the precise MDCC characteristics that could potentially improve the quality of care in lung cancer care have not been clearly defined. We performed a systematic review of the data regarding MDCCs in the treatment of patients with lung cancer to summarize and evaluate the available evidence and to determine valuable clinic characteristics and projected outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFractionation of Palliative Radiation Therapy for Bone Metastases in Ontario: Do Practice Guidelines Guide Practice?
Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys
January 2016
Purpose: To evaluate the effect of a provincial practice guideline on the fractionation of palliative radiation therapy for bone metastases (PRT.B) in Ontario.
Methods And Materials: The present retrospective study used electronic treatment records linked to Ontario's population-based cancer registry.
Introduction/background: An individual patient data metaanalysis was performed to determine clinical outcomes, and to propose a risk stratification system, related to the comprehensive treatment of patients with oligometastatic NSCLC.
Materials And Methods: After a systematic review of the literature, data were obtained on 757 NSCLC patients with 1 to 5 synchronous or metachronous metastases treated with surgical metastectomy, stereotactic radiotherapy/radiosurgery, or radical external-beam radiotherapy, and curative treatment of the primary lung cancer, from hospitals worldwide. Factors predictive of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival were evaluated using Cox regression.
Objectives: Long-term survival has been observed in patients with oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with locally ablative therapies to all sites of metastatic disease. We performed a systematic review of the evidence for the oligometastatic state in NSCLC.
Materials And Methods: A systematic review of MEDLINE, EMBASE and conference abstracts was undertaken to identify survival outcomes and prognostic factors for NSCLC patients with 1-5 metastases treated with surgical metastatectomy, Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR), or Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS), according to PRISMA guidelines.
A population-based study of the fractionation of postlumpectomy breast radiation therapy.
Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys
May 2013
Purpose: The optimal fractionation schedule of post lumpectomy radiation therapy remains controversial. The objective of this study was to describe the fractionation of post-lumpectomy radiation therapy (RT) in Ontario, before and after the seminal Ontario Clinical Oncology Group (OCOG) trial, which showed the equivalence of 16- and 25-fraction schedules.
Methods And Materials: This was a retrospective cohort study conducted by linking electronic treatment records to a population-based cancer registry.