Abstract:
Objective To compare the positioning errors of the clavicular, cervical, and humeral regions during radiotherapy between a 3D-printed breast bracket and common head-occipital pillow in patients with breast cancer and to assess patients with brachial plexus damage to determine whether 3D-printed breast brackets can reduce radiation-induced brachial plexopathy (RIBP).
Methods A total of 58 patients admitted to Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital from January 2022 to October 2022 were randomly assigned into four groups: breast-conserving patients with 3D-printed breast bracket, breast-conserving patients with common head pillow, postoperative patients with 3D-printed breast bracket, and postoperative patients with common head pillow. The positioning error data were obtained for the clavicular, cervical, and humeral regions, and the errors in the elevating direction (vrt), head and foot direction (lng), and left and right direction (lat) were analyzed. At the same time, 100 patients treated at Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital from January 2022 to November 2022 were randomly assigned into the above four groups, and their brachial plexus damage was assessed and classified.
Results In postoperative patients with 3D-printed breast bracket, the vrt, lng, and lat positioning errors in the clavicle, cervical, and humeral regions were (0.95±0.70) mm, (0.90±0.61) mm, (1.50±0.077) mm, (1.50±1.16) mm, (1.16±0.87) mm, (1.45±1.21) mm, (1.31±0.82) mm, (1.10±0.87) mm, and (1.64±1.04) mm, respectively. In breast-conserving patients, the positioning errors were (1.68±0.67) mm, (2.92±1.20) mm, (2.37±1.07) mm, (2.60±1.22) mm, (2.81±1.19) mm, (2.34±1.09) mm, (2.66±1.17) mm, (3.11±1.20) mm, and (2.52±1.21) mm, respectively. There was significant difference in the positioning error between the two groups (P<0.05). The return visit for brachial plexus damage showed that grade 0 was 24% higher in the 3D-printed breast bracket groups than in the ordinary headrest groups, grade 1 was 22% lower, and there were no significant differences in the other grades.
Conclusions The positioning error of the 3D-printed breast bracket in the three areas was smaller than that of the ordinary headrest. Brachial plexus damage in the 3D-printed breast bracket group was also better than that in the ordinary head pillow group.