Evaluation of CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) in the Planning of Radiation Treatments for Lung, Upper Abdomen and Left Breast Cancers

Primary Objectives

• Evaluate effectiveness of CPAP to reproducibly reduce tumor and organ motion during radiation therapy treatments.
• Determine if CPAP allows for a reduction in normal tissue receiving radiation in chest and abdomen tumors and reduce heart exposure for patients receiving left breast irradiation.

Entry Criteria: This is a proof of concept and feasibility study. We propose to study 10 patients in each group for a total of thirty patients.

Eligibility criteria Group1. Lung tumors and nodules with tumor motion greater than 1 cm on standard imaging (n=10) Group2. Left sided breast tumors with unfavorable anatomy, viz heart abutting chest wall (n=10) Group3. Upper abdominal tumors: Liver and Pancreas with tumor motion greater than 1 cm. (n=10)

Pretreatment evaluations/management for patients meeting eligibility criteria CPAP All patients will be evaluated by a pulmonologist for their respiratory performances including physical examination, oxygen saturation and pulmonary function tests including DLCO that will serve for baseline measures. Then, adjustment session will be performed aiming to get adjusted to a CPAP device till the maximal tolerated pressure is not more than 16 cmH20 (TBD) for 30 minutes.