Improving gynecologic brachytherapy patient experience by optimizing MRI, anesthesia, and scheduling to decrease the...

Area of Science:

• Gynecologic Oncology
• Radiation Oncology
• Medical Physics

Background:

• Brachytherapy is a crucial component of gynecologic cancer treatment.
• Patient experience during brachytherapy can be improved by optimizing procedural aspects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate factors influencing applicator in-place time during gynecologic brachytherapy.
• To identify key procedural elements affecting treatment duration and patient comfort.

Main Methods:

• Prospective data collection of 145 tandem and ovoid brachytherapy treatments from 33 patients.
• Analysis using a mixed-effects linear regression model to assess impact of anesthesia, MRI, and procedure scheduling.
• Evaluation of applicator in-place duration under different clinical conditions.

Main Results:

• Average applicator in-place time was 179 minutes (range: 87-311 minutes).
• Anesthesia increased time by 42 minutes; MRI by 66 minutes; multiple daily procedures by 35 minutes.
• Significant correlations found between specific procedural choices and treatment duration.

Conclusions:

• Anesthesia, MRI use, and high procedure volume per day significantly prolong brachytherapy applicator time.
• Findings provide actionable insights for optimizing scheduling and enhancing patient experience.
• Informed scheduling can lead to more efficient and patient-centered gynecologic brachytherapy.