An analytical solution to patient prioritisation in radiotherapy based on utilitarian optimisation

Australas Phys Eng Sci Med. 2014 Mar;37(1):53-7. doi: 10.1007/s13246-013-0240-y. Epub 2014 Jan 10.

Abstract

The detrimental impact of a radiotherapy waiting list can in part be compensated by patient prioritisation. Such prioritisation is phrased as an optimisation problem where the probability of local control for the overall population is the objective to be maximised and a simple analytical solution derived. This solution is compared with a simulation of a waiting list for the same population of patients. It is found that the analytical solution can provide an optimal ordering of patients though cannot explicitly constrain optimal waiting times. The simulation-based solution was undertaken using both the analytical solution and a numerical optimisation routine for daily patient ordering. Both solutions provided very similar results with the analytical approach reducing the calculation time of the numerical solution by several orders of magnitude. It is suggested that treatment delays due to resource limitations and resulting waiting lists be incorporated into treatment optimisation and that the derived analytical solution provides a mechanism for this to occur.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Computer Simulation*
  • Humans
  • Neoplasms / radiotherapy
  • Radiotherapy*
  • Waiting Lists*