Proton- and Carbon Ion therapy

Duration: June 2013 – November 2013
Publication: LBI-HTA Project report No. 74: https://eprints.aihta.at/1021/

Additional team: Katharina Hintringer, Markus Narath
Language: German
 

Background:
Proton therapy is a type of radiotherapy for the treatment of tumours. This method is applied especially in patients where conventional proton radiation cannot be used adequately as the tumour is situated either too deep in the body or is surrounded by sensitive organs. Proton therapy allows an optimal distribution of dosage within the irradiated area. Proton therapy is the most commonly used type of particle therapy, which includes, for example, the irradiation with the heavier carbon ions.
Currently, there are about 20 centres worldwide. The Austrian centre, MedAustron in Wiener Neustadt, will be opened in 2014/2015.
Project aim
The project aims to lay the basis for negotiations with MedAustron, as it systematically collects indications both for proton therapy and carbon ion therapy.
Research questions
• Which proton, resp. carbon ion therapies against tumour indications are in research stage?
• For which tumour indications is there already evidence that proton, resp. carbon ion therapy is more effective and / or has fewer side effects than conventional radiotherapy with photons?
• Which tumour indications are currently reimbursed in neighbouring countries (countries with social security systems) by the statutory social security institutions?
Methods
• appraisal of study databases on clinical trials with proton, respectively carbon ion therapy in tumour indications
• contacting German, Swiss and Belgian health insurances concerning reimbursement of proton-, resp. carbon ion therapy
• Systematic literature search and evaluation (evidence synthesis, systematic reviews, evidence synthesis of 5 indications for carbon ion therapy) for selected indications

Schedule / Milestones:
Part 1: Summary of the current systematic reviews from Germany (G-BA) and Belgium (KCE) to present recent results, adaptation of epidemiology/ number of patients and identification of evidence gaps in evidence syntheses, overview of the status of research and reimbursement.

June 2013:  Literature search and hand search of HTAs and systematic reviews of proton- and carbon ion therapy
                 Search in Clinical Trials Registers
                 Contacting European Social Security Organizations
                 Research on incidence data for Austria
July 2013: Literature selection, data collection
                 Data Extraction
Aug.-Sept. 2013: Report writing Part 1
October / November 2013: Review, completion

Part 2: Evidence Synthesis on 5 indications (those proposed by MedAustron as "consolidated" indications) for carbon ion therapy

Sept 2013: Literature search on 5 Indications of carbon ion therapy
October 2013: Literature selection, data collection
                       Data extraction

November-December 2013: Report writing and Review