Implementing chemoradiation treatment for patients with cervical cancer in a comprehensive cancer center community oncology practice.

In 1999, the National Cancer Institute broadcast a clinical alert promoting the coadministration of radiation therapy and chemotherapy for women with advanced-stage cervical cancer. Since then, patterns of care studies suggest that implementation of these guidelines has been slow. We tested the hypothesis that women with advanced-stage cervical cancer were just as likely to receive coadministration of radiation therapy and chemotherapy at community oncology practices as at hospital-based cancer centers. Between January 2000 and December 2009, 198 women underwent radiation therapy for advanced-stage cervical cancer at treatment centers within a comprehensive cancer center community oncology practice. The majority, 140 (71%), received concurrent radiation therapy and cisplatin chemotherapy. Relative chemotherapy dose, relative time of chemotherapy administration, and relative dose intensity of chemotherapy were similar among the hospital-based comprehensive cancer center and the affiliated community oncology practices. This finding attests to the successful implementation of chemoradiotherapy for cervical cancer in a large networked oncology practice.