Hypofractionation: don’t lose sight of the patient

Abstract

As a cancer survivor who has experienced radiation therapy, I was interested to learn about hypofractionation as an alternative to traditional radiation. In hypofractionation the total dose of radiation is divided into fewer parts and delivered over a shorter time frame than traditional radiation treatment. It reduces the number of visits a patient will have to make to the hospital. For this and other reasons, it offers a co-benefit of reducing the carbon footprint from radiotherapy treatment, while also optimising the hospital experience for cancer patients. Shorter treatment windows have many advantages, most notably the sheer convenience they provide the patient, allowing them to start down the hopeful path of recovery sooner. A cancer patient’s main focus tends to be staying alive, but if treatments that are equally effective also have benefits such as reduced transportation costs and lower greenhouse gas emissions, that is a bonus. Nonetheless, when new treatments or approaches are rolled out, it …