ESTRO 2025 - Abstract Book

S4064

RTT - Patient care, preparation, immobilisation and IGRT verification protocols

ESTRO 2025

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether there is a statistically significant difference in bowel gas following a prescription of Peppermint Water (PW) for patients receiving radiotherapy to their prostate.

Material/Methods: Ten patients’ receiving a radiotherapy dose of 60Gy in 20 fractions (#) to their prostate, who were prescribed PW during their treatment, were retrospectively included in the study. Peppermint water was prescribed from the first day issues presented and then for the reminder of the treatment at a concentration of 5ml solution at 40ml 4 times daily. The initial planning CT scan and each daily CBCT were imported into the TPS RayStation and the volume of gas, pre- and post-PW, in the bowel and rectum was contoured from the top of the sacral-iliac joints to the inferior aspect of the rectum and measured. Results: A Welch t-test was performed to compare the effect of PW on volume of gas within the bowel and rectum. The means and stand deviations are presented in Table 1.

The t-test revealed that there was a statistically significant difference in volume of gas between the No PW group and PW group (F (1, 142) = 4.15, p = 0.043). Specifically, the No PW group had a higher mean test score than the PW group (Figure 1). These findings suggest that the PW effectively improved the volume of gas within the bowel and rectum for these patients receiving 60Gy in 20# to their prostate. Conclusion: In conclusion, our study suggests that PW is significantly associated with less gas within the bowel and rectum. From these findings the radiotherapy department will continue to prescribe PW to patient’s affected by an increase of gas within their bowel and rectum. However, further studies with greater sample sizes and different patient population groups (e.g. gynaecological) are needed to confirm the current findings.