ESTRO meets Asia 2024 - Abstract Book

S363

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

ESTRO meets Asia 2024

255

Proffered Paper

Assessment of Usage, Reuse and Disposal of Thermoplastic Masks among Radiographers

Rohit Avinash Vadgaonkar, Nagesh M, Sreelakshmi K, Raghvendra Hajare, Anil kumar Murugaya, Pritam Parab, Subhabrat Dash, Ramesh Reddy, Vaishali Shende, Ankita Nawar, Rahul Biswas, Sandeep RatnaBula, Shubham Gagare, Raviteja Miriyala, Umesh Mahantshetty

Department of Radiation Oncology, Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Vishakhapatnam, India

Purpose/Objective:

Radiotherapy (RT) relies on devices like thermoplastic masks (TMs), that are made up of specialized thermoplastic polymers, and used as an immobilization tool. Despite being designed for one-time use, TMs are often sanitized and reused. The study aims to assess the practice of usage and reuse of TMs among radiation therapy technologists (RTTs) in India and explore their awareness of environmental impact during disposal.

Material/Methods:

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among RTTs working in different healthcare settings. A structured questionnaire designed by a team of RTTs, and radiation oncologists was used to collect responses. Questionnaire encompasses data pertaining to demographics, existing patient load at respective centers, daily utilization and reuse practice of TMs, preferences of their disposals and awareness of RTTs regarding environmental consequences associated with TM disposal

Results:

A total 430 RTTs participated in the study, with a median age of 31 years old with a median professional experience of 8 years and one-third of the RTTs were in service for more than a decade. Among the participants, 213 (49.6%) reported daily TM utilization in more than 50 patients. Majority of RTTs (n=350, 81.1%) reported the practice of reusing TMs, with nearly three-quarters expressing confidence in reusing TMs not only for palliative but also for curative treatment protocols (Figure.01). The practice of reusing TMs was more common among younger RTTs with age ≤ 30 years (48.8%) and 31-40 years (42%), compared to RTTs of older generation of age 41-50 years (5.7%) and > 50 years of age (3.4%) ( p=0.65 ). The reuse of TMs was observed more often among RTTs working in government-run-run facilities (89.5%) and trust hospitals (85.2%) compared to those in private settings (75.2%) ( p=0.00 ). RTTs in government-run facilities reported higher rates of TM reuse in curative settings (81.2%) compared to RTTs in trust hospitals (69.2%) and private settings (68.8%) ( p=0.00 ). Centers with a daily TM utilization rate exceeding 100 (91.9%) and between 50-100 (85%) had higher rates of TM re-use compared to those with daily utilization rates of either 30-50 (75.8%) or less than 30 (74.1%) ( p=0.00 ). In curative settings, multiple reuses (at least twice or more) of TMs were more prevalent in conventional RT technique (77.6%) and 3-dimensional conformal RT (3DCRT) (69.9%) compared to intensity modulated RT (IMRT) (58.8%), image-guided RT (IGRT) (56.3%), and adaptive RT (53.6%). In palliative settings, RTTs exhibited a higher level of reuse of 3-clamp brain TMs (98%) and 4-clamp head and neck TMs (97.4%) as compared to 4-clamp abdominal and pelvic TMs (90.3%).