| Abstrakt: |
In breast cancer radiation therapy, the widespread preference for supine positioning is primarily due to its operational simplicity and the comfort it affords patients. However, the anatomical benefits of prone positioning, particularly its potential to significantly reduce radiation doses to organs at risk (OAR), are not fully leveraged in clinical practice. This underutilization stems from several difficulties, including compromised patient comfort, stability and precision of setup, and notably, increased setup times. 36 breast cancer patients treated with the VARIAN iX Linac between February and November 2023 were analyzed. The study recorded patient information, including age, BMI, and measurements of average setup times (from entry into the treatment room to beam-on)and total treatment times. The findings indicated a notable variance in setup times, with an average of 7.84 minutes, a median of 7.295 minutes and a standard deviation of 1.61. Upon grouping patients by age (30-50, 51-60, and 61 years and above), statistical analysis revealed significant age-related differences in both setup (P<0.05) and total treatment times(P<0.05),especially between patients aged 51-60 and those over 61(P<0.05), indicating longer durations for the latter group. Furthermore, while BMI did not significantly affect setup times, it was linked to longer total treatment times for patients with higher BMI. Treatment side analysis showed no significant statistical difference in setup times between left and right-sided treatments, though a trend towards longer durations for left-sided treatments was observed. This study confirms longer treatment times for patients over 61 and those with higher BMI. No significant difference was found between treatment sides but left-sided treatments tend to take longer. These findings suggest that further research other factors like mobility, psychological state, and comfort to improve treatment quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
