Proton therapy for head and neck cancer therapy: A real-world data case study from Bulgaria

Study type

• Study topic:
  Disease /health condition
• Study type:
  Non-interventional study
• Scope of the study:
  Other
• Data collection methods:
  Secondary use of data

Non-interventional study

• Non-interventional study design:
  Cohort

Study drug and medical condition

• Medical condition to be studied:
  Head and neck cancer

Population studied

• Age groups:
  • In utero
  • Paediatric Population (< 18 years)

    • Neonate

      • Preterm newborn infants (0 – 27 days)
      • Term newborn infants (0 – 27 days)
    • Infants and toddlers (28 days – 23 months)
    • Children (2 to < 12 years)
    • Adolescents (12 to < 18 years)
  • Adult and elderly population (≥18 years)

    • Adults (18 to < 65 years)

      • Adults (18 to < 46 years)
      • Adults (46 to < 65 years)
    • Elderly (≥ 65 years)

      • Adults (65 to < 75 years)
      • Adults (75 to < 85 years)
      • Adults (85 years and over)

Study design details

• Study design:
  To assess the access to proton therapy for head and neck cancer (HNC) patients using RWD analyzed by Sqilline’s Danny Platform.;
• Main study objective:
  To evaluate the feasibility of establishing a national proton therapy center in Bulgaria.; To analyse strategic policy documents to understand the level of support and potential challenges for implementing proton therapy in Bulgaria.;
• Outcomes:
  From 2020 to 2022, only ten children with head and neck cancer were referred abroad for proton therapy, underscoring the lack of local facilities. These patients, with an average age of 9.8 years, received treatment in Germany, Italy, Austria, and Russia.