ESTRO 2025 - Abstract Book

S4147

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

ESTRO 2025

2 Julka-Anderson N, Structural racism in radiation induced skin reaction toxicity scoring. JMIRS. 2023 Oct;54(4)S44 S46 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmir.2023.09.021

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Digital Poster Patient Anxiety Related to the Use of the Mask in Radiotherapy sirine zouari, moalla eya, frikha mariem, fourati nejla, daoud jamel Habib Bourguiba hospital university, radiation oncology, sfax, Tunisia

Purpose/Objective: This study aims to evaluate the severity of patient anxiety associated with the use of the mask during radiotherapy treatment and to propose solutions to enhance patient comfort and cooperation. Material/Methods: This is a prospective, monocentric study that included 25 patients treated for head and neck cancer at the radiotherapy department of Habib Bourguiba University Hospital in Sfax. The Distress Thermometer (DT) was used to measure the severity of anxiety, with scores ranging from 1 to 10. Patients were interviewed during the mask creation, after the first radiotherapy session, at the mid-treatment point, and at the end of the treatment. Results: All patients experienced anxiety during the treatment planning scan, but to varying degrees. The mean anxiety score was 5.4 [1-10]. Thirteen patients (52%) reported moderate distress (score 4-7 on the mask anxiety DT), and 7 patients (28%) reported severe distress (score 8-10). These patients exhibited phobic-type anxiety during the mask creation, due to the restrictive and suffocating nature of the mask. During the first radiotherapy session, the mean score was 4 [1-8]. Only three patients (12%) experienced severe anxiety, and 10 patients (40%) had moderate anxiety. At mid-treatment, the mean score dropped to 2.2 [0-5], with moderate anxiety persisting in 7 patients (28%). No patients reported severe anxiety at this stage. At the end of treatment, the mean score was 1.28 [0-3], with only 11 patients (44%) maintaining low anxiety levels. Conclusion: Although initial anxiety related to the i mask is high, it significantly decreases as patients become accustomed to the treatment. It is crucial to recognize and manage this anxiety at the start of treatment to improve the patient experience. Tailoring information and communication methods, as well as improving the design of the masks, particularly with "open-face" models for phobic patients, can play a vital role in reducing anxiety.

Keywords: Anxiety, Mask, Radiotherapy

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Digital Poster Patterns of bladder filling variability in CBCT-guided VMAT for prostate cancer Meriem Skouri, Zeineb Naimi, Raouia Ben Amor, Awatef Hamdoun, Ghada Bouguerra, Rihab Haddad, Lotfi Kochbati Radiation Oncology, Abderrahmen Mami Hospital, Ariana, Tunisia

Purpose/Objective: Due to dosimetric and clinical toxicity concerns, radiotherapy for prostate cancer is carried out with a full bladder.