Michael Stencel, DO, on factors associated with receipt of SBRT in prostate cancer

In this video, Michael Stencel, DO, describes the background and notable findings from the Urology paper, “Stereotactic Body Radiation Adoption Impacts Prostate Cancer Treatment Patterns.” Stencel is a urologist with Charleston Area Medical Center in Charleston, West Virginia.

Transcription:

The study found that patients treated in SBRT networks were more likely to live in certain regions and have higher incomes. Can you discuss potential reasons for this disparity, and how might these factors influence access to and adoption of SBRT?

The patients in these networks that were treated with SBRT certainly lived in areas with increased incomes. They also racially looked a little different, and so absolutely would impact the way that they're treated. Certainly, the patients who have access to this look different, and I think without having the identification of all these centers absolutely, the hypothesis is that these centers are in bigger, more academically focused metropolitan areas, so some of that isn't as surprising as we would've thought. But we also can't rule out that there are other financial barriers for patients who are seeking out SBRT vs another treatment or travel barriers. If these centers are focused or are clustered in metropolitan areas, that would put patients who live outside of these areas certainly at a disadvantage when seeking all of the treatments available.

This transcription was edited for clarity.