Identification of differences in immunotherapy knowledge and practice patterns among oncologists from six European countries

The treatment of cancer has changed significantly over the past decade, from a treatment paradigm based primarily on surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, to the development of targeted therapies involving tumor-specific signaling pathways, as well as the immune system. Recent developments have demonstrated the significant clinical benefits of immunotherapy that are quickly being established as standard treatments for certain malignancies. In this study, we demonstrated that clinical practice is not keeping pace with advancing immuno-oncology principles and research. We further demonstrated that the incorporation of immunotherapeutic approaches into the treatment of cancer patients varies widely, not only between developed and developing countries, but also between countries in specific geographical areas that have experienced similar cultural and economic development. We developed a survey to assess the deficiencies in scientific understanding, access to information and treatment options and investigated the differences in clinical practice behaviors among oncologists from six European countries: France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. Our data demonstrated significant differences in all the categories assessed. Therefore, we concluded that there is a need to develop similar assessment tools to identify care imbalances, so that initiatives may be developed to correct care inequities that ultimately affect patient outcomes worldwide.