title: Advances in prevention of radiation damage to visceral and solid organs in patients requiring radiation therapy of the trunk.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As a part of multimodality therapy, many patients with tumors of the trunk receive radiation therapy. The major morbidity of this therapy is often secondary to incidental radiation damage to tissues adjacent to treatment areas.
  
  
  METHODS
  We detail our use of saline breast implants placed in polyglycolic acid mesh sheets to displace visceral and solid organs away from the radiation field.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analysis of CT scans and dose volume histograms reveal that this technique successfully displaces uninvolved organs away from the radiation fields, thereby minimizing the radiation dose to such organs and tissues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We believe this is a safe and efficacious method to prevent radiation damage to visceral and solid organs adjacent to trunk tumor sites.
authors.affiliation: Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.
authors.forename: E F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Ritter
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tyler
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferraro
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Whiddon
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Rudner
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scully
mesh_terms: D000009:Abdominal Muscles; D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D018282:Cystadenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000209:etiology; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000209:etiology; D012825:Silicon; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology; D013526:Surgical Mesh; D014781:Viscera / Q000528:radiation effects
chemical_list: D012965:Sodium Chloride; D012825:Silicon