article · Nigerian Journal of Oncology
Radiotherapy requires uninterrupted delivery to prevent cancer cells from repopulating, which directly influences local disease control and patient survival. A cross-sectional investigation of 217 patients undergoing curative radiotherapy examined the primary drivers and timing of interruptions. The most frequent causes of missed sessions were public holidays, adverse side effects, and machine breakdown. Delays resulting from technical equipment failure lasted an average of four to five days, whereas holidays and side effects accounted for two to three days each. The timing of breaks peaked during the fourth week for gynaecological, head, and neck cancers, and during the second week for breast cancer cases. Increased treatment interruptions were linked with receiving concurrent chemotherapy and having gynaecological cancer, whereas older age correlated with fewer missed days.
Radiotherapy relies on strict schedules to kill cancer cells before they can regrow. Unplanned interruptions can compromise treatment success and lower survival rates. Identifying operational hurdles, such as equipment failure, alongside clinical causes like treatment toxicity, helps oncology centres design better scheduling, contingency plans, and patient support systems to keep therapies on track.
The findings can inform operational management tools, radiotherapy scheduling software, and equipment maintenance programmes for oncology centres. These operational insights are directly applied and tested in a clinical environment, providing actionable evidence for healthcare administrators and public health services seeking to improve radiotherapy capacity, machine reliability, and service continuity.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
Introduction: Cancer treatment includes several modalities that must be completed within specified periods to improve treatment outcome. Radiotherapy as a vital part of managing cancer demands that overall time be kept as short as possible to prevent repopulation of the cells which can affect local control and thus the overall survival of the patient. This study highlights the causes, timing, and patients’ attitude to this break during radiotherapy treatment at NSIA-LUTH Cancer Centre (NLCC). Methods: In this hospital based cross sectional study, 217 patients undergoing curative radiotherapy were recruited. Data analysis was done using STATA 16 and results were presented as measures of central tendency. Results: The prevalent reasons for missing treatment included public holidays (82%), side effects (27.2%) and machine breakdown (11.1%). The average number of days missed due to machine breakdown was about 4 to 5 days and for side effects and public holidays was 2 to 3 days. Treatment break peaks was at the fourth week in gynecologic and head and neck cancers while second week in breast cancers. The findings showed significant association between increased number of missed treatment days and concurrent chemotherapy, and gynaecological cancers while reduced number of missed treatment days with increasing age. Conclusion: We aimed to improve cancer care delivery by identifying the key factors causing interruptions and suggesting actionable recommendations. It is crucial to plan for the treatment period and avoid unnecessary breaks, which should be compensated to prevent adverse effects. Therefore, we urge Nigerian public health services to prioritize the expansion of radiotherapy access through upgrades in equipment, workforce capacity, and aligning resources with the evolving needs of cancer patients in the country for research and clinical purposes.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.67579/njo.2025.8blzbtat
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
