91997E4168

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4168/97 by Eryl McNally (PSE) to the Commission (21 January 1998)

Subject: Research funding in the EU for radiotherapy damage resulting from radiotherapy treatment, and 'best practice' in other EU countries

I recently received a letter in my constituency in the UK from an organization striving to improve access to information designed to alert women to all the possible side-effects, both short-term and long-term, of radiotherapy treatment for breast cancer.

What research funding is available within the EU for research into radiotherapy damage resulting from radiotherapy treatment?

What research is being undertaken within the EU into radiotherapy damage resulting from radiotherapy treatment?

What is the 'best practice' approach taken in other EU countries with regard to radiotherapy treatment?

Answer given by Mrs Cresson on behalf of the Commission (9 February 1998)

Research into the side-effects of radiotherapy is supported by the Community within research area 'cancer research' of the specific research programme 1994-1998 in the field of biomedecine and health - Biomed 2 ((OJ L 361, 31.12.1994. )). The indicative programme allocation for all cancer research is 33.5 MECU. The bulk of cancer research funding is made available on the level of Member States.

The Commission is supporting one research project dealing with tissue damage following radiotherapy under the Biomed 2 programme. The project, with a budget of 410,784 ECU, brings together 14 research groups in Europe to develop methods by which patients most at risk of radiotherapy complications can be identified. The main aim is the individualisation of dose prescription. Tissue and blood specimens are taken before treatment begins and subjected in the laboratory to a series of tests aimed at achieving the best possible prediction of normal-tissue tolerance to radiation therapy. This approach will improve patient management by reducing risk of damage while improving on the patient treatment. One of the aims of the project is to develop 'best practice' approach which could be applied in the participating centres.

Moreover, the Commission programme 'Europe against cancer' supported several studies on quality assurance and other measures to improve the standards of radiotherapy treatment in Europe. All these studies are conducted by the European society for therapeutic radiology and oncology (ESTRO) ((ESTRO, Av. E. Mounier 83, 1200 Brussels - Tel.: 02/775.93.40. )). In 1995, a quality assurance document in radiotherapy was published in the book 'Radiotherapy and oncology' ((Radiotherapy and oncology 35 (1995) 61-73 - Ed. Elsevier. )). At present ESTRO provides, with the support of the Commission, international training courses to raise the quality of education for radiotherapy in Europe.