University of Twente Student Theses
Optimizing Treatment Selection for Localized Prostate Cancer Patients in Germany
Trabitzsch, C. (2023) Optimizing Treatment Selection for Localized Prostate Cancer Patients in Germany.
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| Abstract: | This Research is conducted at Elekta in Veenendaal where Elekta’s business line Brachytherapy is located. Elekta is a multinational company that is headquartered in Stockholm. It develops and produces different radiation equipment for cancer care. Brachytherapy, a specific type of radiotherapy, makes use of radioactive isotopes that are temporarily placed inside or close to a lesion by a computer-controlled device called an afterloader. Elekta recently announced that two million treatments have been delivered with its main afterloader “Flexitron”. Problem Description Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in Germany among men, with around 68,000 new cases annually. The number of cases is projected to rise due to an ageing population in the near future. Various treatment options exist, differing in costs, control rates, and toxicity. Guidelines help determine treatment, but patient and provider preferences can influence treatment selection. These preferences partially explain the up to 50% variation in the use of radiotherapy between Germany and the UK. Several authors tried to support objectified treatment selection decision-making by developing mathematical models to aid treatment selection by providers and patients. This existing research however does not include salvage treatments and only includes few treatment options, which is why we aim to extend these. Our research focuses on optimizing treatment selection to minimize longterm expected costs, including direct treatment costs, utility management costs, and costs associated with lost utility. This leads us to the following research question: How can the treatment selection for localized prostate cancer be optimized such that the long-term treatment-associated costs of a patient are minimized? |
| Item Type: | Essay (Bachelor) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 05 communication studies |
| Programme: | Industrial Engineering and Management BSc (56994) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/96009 |
| Export this item as: | BibTeX EndNote HTML Citation Reference Manager |
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