Robert Olson
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1) Clinical trials assessing stereotactic radiotherapy in the setting of metastatic disease 2) Population-level collection and use of patient reported outcomes to improve care and guide comparative effectiveness research 3) Assessing interventions to impact prescribing practices of oncologists
Supervision Enquiry
Graduate Student Supervision
Master's Student Supervision (2010 - 2018)
Background and Purpose: Recent literature has suggested that higher volumes of practice areassociated with better survival outcomes for head and neck cancer (HNC) patients. However,these studies are limited by looking at the volume of practice on a cancer centre level (i.e. notprovider level), and include jurisdictions without central coordination and specialized HNCtumor group support. The objective of this thesis was to evaluate the effect of treatment centre onthe overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) of HNC patients in BritishColumbia in a provincially coordinated program.Methods: The BC Cancer Registry (BCCR), a population-based provincial database, was used toidentify all patients in BC diagnosed for the first time with a primary non-thyroid HNC andtreated with radiotherapy between 2006 and 2011. Patients were categorized as residing in large,small and rural local health authorities (LHAs) using BC Stats and BC Ministry of Healthinformation. Physician case frequency was defined as low (0-14 cases per year), medium (15-29cases per year) and high (>30 cases per year). There was no effect on OS or head and neck CSSwhen physician case frequency was treated as a continuous variable.Results: 2,330 HNC patients were included in the study. On multivariable analysis, aftercontrolling for age, gender, cancer stage, anatomical site, treatment and physician casefrequency, neither head and neck CSS (HNCSS) (HR range=0.86-1.03; p=0.54-0.99) nor OS(HR range=0.91-1.05; p=0.60-0.88) was significantly different by centre. OS was also notsignificantly different for patients treated by physicians with low case frequency (HR=0.96;0.81-1.13; p=0.60) and medium case frequency (HR=1.12; 0.84-1.49; p=0.43) in reference tohigh case frequency. Conclusions: There was no significant difference in survival among BC cancer centres aftercontrolling for differences in rurality, physician case volume and other potential confoundingvariables. This lack of difference may be in large part due to the centrally coordinatedpopulation-run program where radiation oncologists subspecialize, follow provincial guidelines,attend multidisciplinary rounds, have access to radiotherapy quality assurance, and are supportedby a HNC tumor group.
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Publications
- Quality of Life Outcomes after Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR) vs. Standard of Care Treatments in the Oligometastatic Setting: A Secondary Analysis of the SABR-COMET Randomized Trial (2019)
International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, - SUPR-3D: A randomized phase iii trial comparing simple unplanned palliative radiotherapy versus 3d conformal radiotherapy for patients with bone metastases: study protocol (2019)
BMC Cancer, - Management of stage II and III rectal cancer in British Columbia: Is there a rural-urban difference? (2018)
The American Journal of Surgery, - Population-based phase II trial of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) for up to 5 oligometastases: SABR-5 (2018)
BMC Cancer, 18 (1) - Programmatic Comparison and Dissemination of an Audit of Single-fraction Radiation Therapy Prescribing Practices for Bone Metastases is Associated with a Meaningful and Lasting Change in Practice on a Population Level (2018)
International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, 102 (2), 325--329 - Provincial development of a patient-reported outcome initiative to guide patient care, quality improvement, and research (2018)
Healthcare Management Forum, 31 (1), 13--17 - “Assessing the methodological quality of systematic reviews in radiation oncology: A systematic review” (2017)
Cancer Epidemiology, 50, 141-149 - Anxiety After Diagnosis Predicts Lung Cancer–Specific and Overall Survival in Patients With Stage III Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Population-Based Cohort Study (2017)
Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 53 (6), 1057-1065 - Asian and non-Asian disparities in outcomes of non-nasopharyngeal head and neck cancer (2017)
Laryngoscope, 127 (11), 2528-2533 - Evaluation of treatment completion note used by the bc cancer agency centre for the north (2017)
British Columbia Medical Journal, 59 (6), 312-316 - Impact of hospital volume on quality indicators for rectal cancer surgery in British Columbia, Canada (2017)
American Journal of Surgery, 213 (2), 388-394 - Neoadjuvant systemic therapy in breast cancer: Use and trends in radiotherapy practice (2017)
Current Oncology, 24 (5), 310-317 - Patient-reported outcome use in oncology: a systematic review of the impact on patient-clinician communication (2017)
Supportive Care in Cancer, , 1-20 - Population-based assessment of relationship between volume of practice and outcomes in head and neck cancer patients treated in a provincially coordinated radiotherapy program (2017)
Radiotherapy and Oncology, 124 (1), 174-181 - Prospective analysis of patient reported symptoms and quality of life in patients with incurable lung cancer treated in a rapid access clinic (2017)
Lung Cancer, 112, 35-40 - Urban and rural differences in outcomes of head and neck cancer (2017)
Laryngoscope, - 118: Impact of Internal Mammary Node Radiation on Survival of Patients with Breast Cancer: Extended Follow Up of a Population Based Analysis (2016)
Radiotherapy and Oncology, 120, S44 - 19: Population-Based Assessment of Relationship Between Volume of Practice and Outcomes in Head and Neck Cancer Patients (2016)
Radiotherapy and Oncology, 120, S7--S8 - 95: Cancer Incidence and Treatment Disparities: A Perspective from Model Island Communities of Haida Gwaii in British Columbia Comparing First Nations (FN) and General Population (2016)
Radiotherapy and Oncology, 120, S37 - Adult childhood cancer survivors’ narratives of managing their health: the unexpected and the unresolved (2016)
Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 10 (4), 711--725 - Comparison of patient-reported outcomes with single versus multiple fraction palliative radiotherapy for bone metastasis in a population-based cohort (2016)
Radiotherapy and Oncology, 119 (2), 202-207 - Impact of Travel Distance and Urban-Rural Status on the Multidisciplinary Management of Rectal Cancer (2016)
The Journal of Rural Health, - Impact of using audit data to improve the evidence-based use of single-fraction radiation therapy for bone metastases in British Columbia presented at the Canadian Association of Radiation Oncology 2014 Annual Meeting, Aug 25-28, 2014, St. John's, Newfoun (2016)
International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics, 94 (1), 40-47 - Radiotherapeutic Management of Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer in the Minimal Resource Setting (2016)
Journal of Thoracic Oncology, 11 (1), 21--29 - Supporting long-term follow-up of young adult survivors of childhood cancer: Correlates of healthcare self-efficacy (2016)
Pediatric Blood & Cancer, 64 (2), 358--363 - Utilization of palliative radiotherapy for bone metastases near end of life in a population-based cohort Cancer palliative care (2016)
BMC Palliative Care, 15 (1) - Volumetric Radiosurgery for 1 to 10 Brain Metastases: A Multicenter, Single-Arm, Phase 2 Study (2016)
International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics, 94 (2), 312-321 - Follow-up patterns of cancer survivors: a survey of Canadian radiation oncologists (2015)
Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 9 (3), 388-403 - In Reply to Raince and Bloom (2015)
International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, 91 (2), 452 - Incidence and treatment patterns of complicated bone metastases in a population-based radiotherapy program (2015)
Radiotherapy and Oncology, - Incidence of distal bone metastases in patients treated for palliative radiotherapy and associations with primary tumour types (2015)
Journal of Bone Oncology, 4 (4), 107-109 - Palliative radiotherapy fractionation schedules prescribed are dependent on the distance a patient travels to receive treatment (2015)
Radiotherapy and Oncology, - Patient preferences for timing and access to radiation therapy (2015)
Current Oncology, 22 (4), 279-286 - Second Malignancies After Adjuvant Radiation Therapy for Early Stage Breast Cancer: Is There Increased Risk With Addition of Regional Radiation to Local Radiation? (2015)
International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, 91 (5), 977--985 - The Vancouver rapid access clinic for palliative lung radiation, providing more than just rapid access (2015)
Supportive Care in Cancer, 23 (1), 125-132 - 25 Year survival outcomes for squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck: Population-based outcomes from a Canadian province (2014)
Oral Oncology, 50 (7), 651-656 - Access to medical and supportive care for rural and remote cancer survivors in northern British Columbia (2014)
Journal of Rural Health, 30 (3), 311-321 - Incidence of second metachronous head and neck cancers: Population-based outcomes over 25 years (2014)
Laryngoscope, 124 (10), 2287-2291 - Parents' perspectives of life challenges experienced by long-term paediatric brain tumour survivors: Work and finances, daily and social functioning, and legal difficulties (2014)
Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 8 (3), 372-383 - Prospective associations of depression with survival: A population-based cohort study in patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer (2014)
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, 143 (2), 373-384 - Prospective evaluation of unmet needs of rural and aboriginal cancer survivors in northern British Columbia (2014)
Current Oncology, 21 (2) - Should women younger than 40 years of age with invasive breast cancer have a mastectomy?: 15-year outcomes in a population-based cohort (2014)
International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics, 90 (3), 509-517 - The distribution and patterns of practice of stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy in Canada (2014)
Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences, 45 (1), 8-15 - The impact of peer review of volume delineation in stereotactic body radiation therapy planning for primary lung cancer: A multicenter quality assurance study (2014)
Journal of Thoracic Oncology, 9 (4), 527-533 - The number of lymph nodes dissected in breast cancer patients influences the accuracy of prognosis (2014)
Breast Diseases, 25 (3), 234-235 - Trajectories of social isolation in adult survivors of childhood cancer (2014)
Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 8 (1), 80-93 - Use of single-versus multiple-fraction palliative radiation therapy for bone metastases: Population-based analysis of 16,898 courses in a Canadian Province (2014)
International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics, 89 (5), 1092-1099 - Comparison of recurrence and survival rates after breast-conserving therapy and mastectomy in young women with breast cancer (2013)
Current Oncology, 20 (6) - Impact of Quality Assurance Rounds in a Canadian Radiation Therapy Department (2013)
International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, 85 (3), e117--e121 - In regard to de Lima et al (2013)
International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics, 85 (4) - Population-based comparison of two feeding tube approaches for head and neck cancer patients receiving concurrent systemic-radiation therapy: Is a prophylactic feeding tube approach harmful or helpful? (2013)
Supportive Care in Cancer, 21 (12), 3433-3439 - Assessing the risk of inadvertent radiation exposure of pregnant patients during radiation therapy planning and treatment in British Columbia (2012)
Practical Radiation Oncology, 2 (3), 179--185 - Does the intent to irradiate the internal mammary nodes impact survival in women with breast cancer? A population-based analysis in British Columbia (2012)
International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics, 83 (1) - Effect of community population size on breast cancer screening, stage distribution, treatment use and outcomes (2012)
Canadian Journal of Public Health, 103 (1), 46-52 - Evaluation of dosimetric consequences of seroma contour variability in accelerated partial breast irradiation using a constructed representative seroma contour (2012)
International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics, 84 (2), 527-532 - Oncologists’ view of informed consent and shared decision making in paediatric radiation oncology (2012)
Radiotherapy and Oncology, 102 (2), 210--213 - Referral patterns of patients for palliative radiation therapy in British Columbia: A comparison between rural and urban family physicians (2012)
Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences, 43 (3), 161-167 - Relationships between family physicians' referral for palliative radiotherapy, knowledge of indications for radiotherapy, and prior training: a survey of rural and urban family physicians (2012)
Radiation Oncology, 7 (1) - Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy for comprehensive treatment of oligometastatic tumors (SABR-COMET): Study protocol for a randomized phase II trial (2012)
BMC Cancer, 12 - Prognostic and predictive value of epigenetic silencing of MGMT in patients with high grade gliomas: A systematic review and meta-analysis (2011)
Journal of Neuro-Oncology, 105 (2), 325-335 - Prospective comparison of the prognostic utility of the mini mental state examination and the montreal cognitive assessment in patients with brain metastases (2011)
Supportive Care in Cancer, 19 (11), 1849-1855 - Prospective comparison of two cognitive screening tests: Diagnostic accuracy and correlation with community integration and quality of life (2011)
Journal of Neuro-Oncology, 105 (2), 337-344 - Selection bias potentially overestimates risk of breast pain from radiotherapy (2011)
Radiotherapy and Oncology, 99 (1) - Prospective evaluation of legal difficulties and quality of life in adult survivors of childhood cancer (2010)
Pediatric Blood & Cancer, 56 (3), 439--443 - Selection bias introduced by neuropsychological assessments (2010)
Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences, 37 (2), 264-268 - Sci—Thurs AM: YIS—07: Dosimetric Consequences of Surgical Cavity Contour Variability in Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation (2009)
Medical Physics, 36 (9) - TU‐D‐BRC‐03: Assessment of Interobserver and Intraobserver Surgical Cavity Contour Variability in Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation Through the Use of a Representative Surgical Cavity Contour (2009)
Medical Physics, 36 (6) - Feasibility study of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in patients with brain metastases (2008)
Supportive Care in Cancer, 16 (11), 1273--1278
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