Improving Patient Preparation for Prostate Radiotherapy Simulation and Treatment- Is There Anything That Can Be Done?

Abstract

The requirement for patients undergoing prostate radiotherapy to meet particular standards in bladder and bowel preparation for simulation and daily treatments can be challenging to patients and treatment units, and this has become even more significant with the use of reduced margins and hypofractionated regimes. While there may be slightly more flexibility in these parameters for daily treatment, it is crucial that the standards are met for treatment planning purposes and patients are required to prepare for simulation by achieving an empty rectum and a comfortably full bladder. Patients who cannot achieve these standards may need to have multiple simulation scans, occasionally returning on a different day, and may need to spend considerably more time at the cancer centre than expected. This is inconvenient for the patient and also very disruptive to CT simulator workflow, leading to delays for other patients. This project aimed to retrospectively evaluate the frequency of re-scanning and significant scan delays due to bladder-filling challenges in our department, and then evaluate the impact of two interventions alone and in combination on these parameters.