Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 7, 2025

Voluntary Breath-hold Technique for Reducing Heart Dose in Left Breast Radiotherapy
Published on: July 3, 2014
Minimizing preparation time for repeated prolonged deep-inspiration breath holds during breast cancer irradiation
Vincent Vakaet1,2, Hans Van Hulle1, Renée De Noyette1
1Department of Human Structure and Repair, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
Objectives:
Deep inspiration breath-holds (DIBHs) reduce heart and lung toxicity during breast cancer radiotherapy. Consecutive DIBHs are stressful, time-consuming, and leads to position changes. To facilitate the introduction of pre-oxygenation using high-flow nasal oxygen (HFNO) and hyperventilation to prolong DIBHs (L-DIBHs), we examined the effect of hyperventilation time on the duration of L-DIBHs. Additionally, to minimize total treatment time, the feasibility of several successive L-DIBHs was examined.
Methods:
Our previous protocol imposed 3 min of hyperventilation at 16 breaths per minute with pre-oxygenation using HFNO, in prone position. In the first phase, the effect of hyperventilation time on the length of the L-DIBH was investigated. The aim of the second phase was to investigate the feasibility of shorter preparation times before the second and third L-DIBH in the case of 3 consecutive L-DIBHs of at least 2 minutes.
Results:
There is a positive but weak correlation between preparation time and L-DIBH duration. With either 3 minutes 30 seconds or 6 minutes 20 seconds (depending on fitness) of voluntary hyperventilation duration, 93% of subjects could hold 3 consecutive L-DIBHs for over 2 minutes. The median duration of the third and last L-DIBH was 3 minutes 17 seconds (SD 1 min 4 seconds).
Conclusion:
A weak relationship exists between the hyperventilation time and L-DIBH duration. Repeating L-DIBHs with shorter preparations is achievable, resulting in a shorter total treatment time required.
Advances In Knowledge:
It is possible to perform repeated L-DIBHs for breast cancer irradiation using HFNO and hyperventilation.
More Related Videos
08:34Proton Therapy Delivery and Its Clinical Application in Select Solid Tumor Malignancies
Published on: February 6, 2019
08:35Oxygenation-sensitive Cardiac MRI with Vasoactive Breathing Maneuvers for the Non-invasive Assessment of Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction
Published on: August 17, 2022
Related Concept Videos
Radiological Investigation III: Pulmonary Angiogram and PET Scan
Pulmonary Angiogram
A Pulmonary Angiogram is an invasive procedure involving injecting a contrast medium through a catheter threaded into the pulmonary artery or the right side of the heart to visualize the pulmonary vasculature. Computed Tomography (CT) scans have mainly replaced this...
Administering Oxygen by Mask
Administering oxygen by mask is a common nursing intervention that provides supplemental oxygen to patients with respiratory distress or chronic lung conditions. This procedure involves delivering oxygen at a specified rate through a face mask connected to an oxygen source.
Equipment
The equipment necessary for this procedure includes:
Assessment of Respiration
Subjective Assessment: Nurses interview the patient to gather information directly during the subjective assessment. It includes questions about the individual's medical history, medications, and symptoms, focusing on past respiratory conditions like...
Radiological Investigation II: MRI and Ventilation Perfusion Scan
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Ventilation Perfusion Scans are two radiological investigations that offer detailed diagnostic images of the body, particularly lung structures.
MRI
MRI uses magnetic fields and radiofrequency signals to distinguish between normal and abnormal tissues. This technology provides a more detailed diagnostic image than CT scans, enabling it to characterize pulmonary nodules, stage bronchogenic carcinoma, and evaluate inflammatory activity in...