title: Bellyboard device reduces small bowel displacement.
abstract: The ability to cure several pelvic malignancies is hampered by the inability to deliver doses greater than 45 to 50 Gy, beyond which radiation enteritis becomes dose-limiting. The design and fabrication of a device that allows exclusion of small bowel from the pelvis during radiation therapy are described in this study. A prospective dose-volume analysis conducted on 30 patients reveals a 66 percent reduction in the volume of small bowel within the radiation portals.
authors.affiliation: Mercy Regional Medical Cancer Center, Janesville, WI 53545.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bertelrud
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mehta
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shanahan
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Utrie
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gehring
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000528:radiation effects*; D010386:Pelvic Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011137:Polystyrenes; D011187:Posture; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011836:Radiation Tolerance; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D011881:Radiotherapy, Computer-Assisted; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D011137:Polystyrenes; C024075:styrofoam