ESTRO meets Asia 2024 - Abstract Book

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Invited Speaker

ESTRO meets Asia 2024

emotional, psychological and environmental comfort through the use of open communication and patient comfort assessment tools. Further research is needed to explore the notion of comfort in RT.

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From gadgets to good care: Navigating immobilisation devices for enhanced efficiency

Helen McNair

Radiotherapy and Imaging, Insitutue of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom. Radiotherapy, Royal MArsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom

Abstract

Patient immobilisation is more than keeping the patient still. Effective patient positioning ensures both reproducibility daily and stability during each fraction. Whilst patient comfort is important, immobilisation, or positioning devices, can assist the patient in achieving and maintaining the optimal position. To achieve reproducibility may mean asking the patient to follow a preparation protocol, for example drinking instructions prior to treatment to achieve a full or empty bladder. When using positioning or immobilisation devices it is important that staff are both confident and competent in using the devices. Patients may require coaching, often used for breath hold appointments, or time to try the device. The choice of immobilisation and position must be determined at pre-treatment appointment and then remain consistent throughout.

495

Patient positioning and immobilisation procedures for proton therapy

Sze Yarn Sin

Division of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

Abstract

Immobilisation devices are the basic to daily position reproducibility for radiotherapy treatment. Generally, they are used to lessen motion during treatment, thereby ensuring high precision dose to target volume and minimising dose to surrounding critical structures. Globally, proton therapy has been an emerging treatment modality for the past decade. It allows exact dose deposition in the Bragg peak region and followed by a steep dose gradient from full to zero dose. Therefore, it can lower dose to proximate healthy organs and overall integral dose. Proton beam passing through different tissue thickness or material density will affect overall beam deposition and subsequently result in underdosing the target volume or overdosing of OARs. Stable immobilisation devices will allow good fixation of target relative to the beam, body contour and internal anatomy, hence enable precise placement of the spread-out Bragg peak (SOBP) within patient.