Bellyboard device reduces small bowel displacement.
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.
Bertelrud
K
K
Mercy Regional Medical Cancer Center, Janesville, WI 53545.
Mehta
M
M
Shanahan
T
T
Utrie
P
P
Gehring
M
M
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
D011137:Polystyrenes; C024075:styrofoam