A postal questionnaire was sent to a randomly selected Veterinary Surgeon (VS) from 1843 UK veterinary practices (VPs) providing care for dogs and cats during November 2004. The study instrument underwent pre-testing, validation, and stability assessment. It requested demographic data concerning the VP and the VS. Respondents were asked how many dogs and cats they had referred for radiotherapy in the preceding year and to rate their knowledge concerning which cases might benefit from radiotherapy. They were asked what effect several factors would have on their decision to refer a patient for radiotherapy. Responses were cross-classified by demographic variables before undergoing multivariable ordinal logistic regression.

Questionnaires returned = 727 (39.4%); failure to respond was significantly associated with male Vss, non-BSAVA approved VPs, and VPs in more socioeconomically deprived electoral wards.

Respondents that had not referred a dog or cat for radiotherapy during the preceding year = 75.0%. For those who had the median number of cases referred was 1 (range 1-120). Respondents rated their level of knowledge concerning which cases would benefit from radiotherapy as none (17.1%), little (49.8%), some (28.5%), and great (2.9%); 1.7% did not respond to this question.

The only UK veterinary radiotherapy facilities during the study period were located at Cambridge Veterinary School. UK VPs were located a median of 148 miles (range 4-803) by road and sea from these facilities. The likelihood of cases been referred for radiotherapy declined significantly with increasing distance by road and sea from Cambridge. This decline followed an exponential decay pattern with a t½ of 54 miles. This outcome was positively associated with an increasing level of respondent knowledge concerning which cases would benefit from radiotherapy, respondent possession of an oncology text, and respondents working in a chemotherapy referral centre or a veterinary nurse approved training centre. There was a negative association with Scottish VPs. Two Northern Irish VPs had used human radiotherapy facilities in Belfast to treat 4 dogs and cats during the study period.

Respondents who reported that the distance between the VP and radiotherapy facilities had some or a great effect on their decision to refer a patient for radiotherapy = 71.8%. Their level of radiotherapy knowledge had a similar effect (73.3%) with the greatest effect attributed to financial cost (85.7%) and the least to concerns about radiotherapy toxicity (64.8%).