A Pilot Study of Setup Variation in the Supraclavicular Lymph Nodes Treatment in Breast Cancer Patients Using On-Board Imaging System With Linear Accelerator

The Study Imaging Techniques for Radiation Treatment Planning:

The standard way to set up a patient to receive radiation therapy on the lymph nodes in the neck is by using an EPID, which uses high-energy X-rays to make images to see if the patient's body positioning for radiation therapy is correct or not. It is important for the doctors to see the position of the patient's lower neck so that radiation can be delivered to the right place.

The position of the patient's body during radiation therapy is typically checked once a week using an EPID or a similar device. While the patient is lying on the treatment table, the EPID system takes the necessary images. In this study, along with using an EPID, researchers will use the OBI KV system and CBCT scanning, in order to look at how well the standard EPID is describing the patient's neck position.

OBI KV imaging is designed to make images using low-energy X-rays, and the images are considered reasonably clear and easy for the doctors to read. CBCT scanning uses low-energy X-rays that let the doctors see the lymph nodes in the lower neck. Unlike regular CT scanning, CBCT scanning does not require "contrast" material to be used.

Since all 3 of the pieces of equipment (the EPID, OBI KV, and CBCT systems) are built into the same treatment machine, you will not need to move for the extra pieces of equipment that are being used in this study. You will lay very still, as usual, and the images will all be taken in a row.