Taking Stock: The Canadian Association of Radiation Oncology 2017 Radiation Oncologist Workforce Study

Purpose To identify and report radiation oncologist (RO) workforce demographics, clinical workload trends, and equipment inventory in Canada. Methods and Materials The Canadian Association of Radiation Oncology (CARO) distributed an online survey to RO administrative leaders at 47 Canadian cancer centers providing radiation therapy services from June to December 2017. The survey queried RO staff demographics, clinical workload, and equipment inventory from 2014 to 2016. Results The response rate was 98% and represented 46 of 47 centers for analysis. In 2016, 510 ROs were in practice, with 98 ROs (19.2%) having 200,000 (84.9%). Approximately half (52.3%) were ≥46 years old. The male-to female ratio was 1.5:1 or higher in all regions of Canada except for Quebec, where there was no gender gap. Part-time employment was more common among female ROs (P Conclusions The Canadian RO workforce demonstrated incremental growth, but rising annual caseloads suggest that radiation therapy demand outpaced RO supply gains. Government funding is required to replace aging equipment in Canada.