Radiation continues to be an important treatment option for pediatric cancer patients. Proton radiation therapy offers an improved therapeutic effect over conventional photon radiation therapy as it allows for precise dose control, which can reduce the long-term side effects associated with radiation. However, presently, Canada does not have the infrastructure to provide proton radiation therapy. As a result, patients are referred to the United States for this treatment, which limits equitable access.

Currently, there is no system in place to document the number and demographics of the patients who are referred to, or receive, proton radiation therapy. The clinical outcomes for those patients who receive either proton or photon radiation therapy are also unknown.

Canada is joining the prospective, international Proton/Photon Consortium Registry. Six Canadian centers (Alberta Health Services, BC Children’s Hospital, CHU Sainte-Justine, IWK Health Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children and Stollery Children’s Hospital) will enroll children treated with radiation therapy to generate the data needed to evaluate the benefits and side effects of both proton and photon radiation therapy in children and the practice patterns of pediatric oncologists in Canada.

Moreover, the data available in this registry will be used to determine the referral patterns of pediatric oncologists in Canada for proton radiation therapy and understand barriers to accessing this therapy (especially among equity-deserving groups), to plan for its future availability in Canada.