José F. Robles-Díaz, Departamento de Radioterapia, Instituto Regional de Enfermedades Neoplásicas del Centro, Concepción, Junín, Perú
Background: Adherence to radiotherapy is crucial for tumor control. Non-clinical interruptions in public hospitals can affect disease-free survival (DFS). Objectives: To evaluate the impact of non-clinical radiotherapy interruptions and their relationship with DFS in cancer patients treated at a referral center in Peru. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted on 860 patients with breast, cervical, and head and neck cancer treated between 2020 and 2024. Exposure to holidays, interruptions of ≥ 2 and ≥ 5 days, and DFS were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves, Cox regression, and multivariate logistic regression. Results: Eighteen point nine percent, 18.4, and 18.7% of patients were exposed to technical failures, patient non-attendance, and holidays, respectively. Overall DFS was lower in the groups with interruptions ≥ 5 days. In cervical cancer, the median DFS decreased from 43.1 to 26.8 months with interruptions ≥ 5 days (p < 0.001), and in head and neck cancer, from 32.9 to 18.0 months (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Non-clinical interruptions ≥ 5 days reduce DFS, significantly affecting cervical and head and neck cancer.
Keywords: Radiotherapy. Survival. Interruption. Public health systems.
