Practice Patterns of Breast Radiation Therapy in Mississippi: Insights and Opportunities from a Survey Among Mississippi Radiation Oncologists

Objective In 2022, a survey was distributed across practicing Mississippi Radiation Oncologists. The purpose of the survey was to assess and identify practice patterns within radiation therapy delivered specifically for female breast cancer patients. Methods A 40 question electronic survey was distributed to Mississippi Radiation Oncologists focusing on breast radiation therapy practice in relation to recommended standards and guidelines. Due to the low census of radiation oncologists in Mississippi (36), only descriptive statistics were evaluated with the SPSS statistical software version 29. Results Among physicians we achieved a 50% response rate with 54% of the Mississippi centers represented. Over half of responding physicians indicated that their breast radiation therapy practice follows professionally recommended guidelines regarding fractionation, 3-dimensional planning, and cardiac sparing. Conclusion With a 50% response rate, the suggestion is that most Mississippi practitioners meet nationally accepted standards for practice. Regarding residual “holdouts” on adopting guidelines such as regarding moderate hypofractionation, increased collaboration among Mississippi practitioners is recommended.