The hypothesis is that the daily use of brass mesh bolus achieves a comparable dose to every-other-day use of Superflab bolus (current standard of care) in chest wall post-mastectomy patients treated with rotational 6 MV photon delivery.
Intervention: During a standard-of-care 15 fraction radiotherapy treatment, a brass mesh bolus will be used for a single fraction. Small in-vivo dosimeters will be used for three treatment fractions to measure and compare skin doses for quantification purposes. Comparator: Superflab and no bolus applied as per the treating physician's practice, typically on alternate days. The intervention and comparator tools are to be utilized on each participant. Primary outcome 1. To determine the skin dose under brass mesh bolus and compare it with the skin dose under Superflab bolus (current standard of care). 2. To determine the number of fractions for which brass mesh bolus should be used to achieve an acceptable skin dose.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
20
During a standard-of-care 15 fraction radiotherapy treatment, a brass mesh bolus will be used for a single fraction. Small in-vivo dosimeters will be used for three treatment fractions to measure and compare skin doses for quantification purposes.
Nova Scotia Health Authority
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
RECRUITINGSkin Dose Enhancement Under Brass Mesh Bolus
During days one, two, and three of radiation therapy, patients on this study utilize no-bolus, 5-mm thick Superflab bolus, and brass mesh bolus, respectively. Each day, nine in-vivo dosimeters (OSLDs) will be placed on patient skin to sample the skin dose in cGy. As a result, for each patient on this study, skin dose enhancement of brass mesh compared with no-bolus can be related to that of Superflab bolus. At the end of the study, the average and range of skin dose enhancement under brass mesh bolus for a sample size of twenty patients will be reported.
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 1 year
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