ive been offered SABA radiotherapy but been told i have to have a neck and shoulder mould made to wear which will keep me still also they have to mark the spot where the tumor is has anyone had a mould made ? can you describe the procedure , will this be done in xray dept what materials do they use ? when i have radiotherapy i will be lying on my back because i am female can i ask for all staff to be female ? they told me that i will be lying on my back for a hour , 3 treatments every other day
has anyone had similar experience
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hollyboo
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Hollyboo, I am very sorry I don’t have a complete answer. The mould would I imagine be of plaster of Paris to get the shape then it would be used to make a firm plastic casing to rest your shoulder in.
The hard part will be keeping still and trying not to worry. While you are having the radiotherapy there won’t be anybody in the actual space you are in as the radiologist would be behind a screen. Your body will be covered with a robe too.
Hi my mother who was 89 at the time required a mask as she called it due to a skin cancer within her ear. From memory the whole procedure took a couple of hours and was in a specialist area away from the radiotherapy department. The materials used can differ. My mother found the only difficult part was at time whilst making the mould was that her face was completely covered which panicked he a great deal. Before taking my mother in I rang the department to talk to the people involved which helped me explain all that would happen. In my mother's case she had a 20 minute treatment every week day for a month. With all the traveling and treatments etc she felt exhausted most days. However she recovered Quickly, She was given advice on skin care etc by the staff. I talked to a number of others having the treatment and the vast majority of them felt the traveling to and from the hospital more of a problem than the therapy. You can request female staff if that is your wish. I hope all goes well and what I have said helps...Good luck.
Hi hollyboo , my wife had radiotherapy a few months ago for a lung problem. She tells me that they made a mould of her back which would be used to hold her steady during radiotherapy. This was done by laying on her back on a plastic bag with polystyrene beads in it. They then pumped out the air while pulling up the sides so that it moulded to the shape of her body. This only needed to be done once and after her treatments were finished they released the valve in the bag, letting the air out and it just went flat as it originally was.
During treatment she was allowed to wear trousers as long as they didn’t have a metal zip, or tights. She also wore a hospital gown. This needed to be open while having treatment but there was only one occasion when a male was present. Wifey said she was more concerned about getting the treatment than worrying about any male staff being there. All members of staff were very professional and treated my wife very well. If you are worried about anything, please talk to your medical team. I am sure they will listen to your concerns and put your mind at rest.
hollyboo My husband had six treatments of SABR radiotherapy last year for Lung Cancer. three first week three the second. His Oncologist explained what would happen during treatment at that meeting we met the Radiologist who would be in charge of his treatment. This therapy is only offered at the very large hospitals my husbands was at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. About three weeks before treatment was to start he had to go to have the markers put onto his chest. This was a painless procedure, he had four markers very ,very tiny small black marks just like the tip of a pen. He had this done in the Radiology department which is separate to xray within the Cancer Centre. He was told that he may have to have a mould but was then told he would be ok as long as he could keep still for about an hour. He did find this the worst part keeping still for so long. Only once did they have to stop before the hour as he had a coughing fit. We had to have a dummy run as I called it before treatment started so that all the correct measurements can be taken. This treatment is very precise so everything has to be in place before hand. Everything was explained to him even showing him where to get undressed what gown he would be wearing even down to where to get tea and coffee. The only side effects my husband had was a loss of appetite for a few weeks and feeling very tired he did sleep a lot. I would not worry as everything I am sure will be explained to you, as it was to us. Everyone was so kind and helpful. My husband couldn't wear any jewellery ie watches not sure about the trousers his was Lung Cancer he did have to wear a gown but even that was better than the usual gowns you are given Navy Blue with Velcro up the front. I do not know the procedure for Male /Female I do know you will be given every chance to ask all your questions beforehand. Good Luck let us know how you get on xx
I had a mould made. The technicians brushed my skin with an oily substance before covering me in plaster (much like a cast for a broken bone). When that was set it was taken away so they could use it to make a mould. Not sure what the actual mould is made of but it looked like clear hard plastic. The borders of the mould had clips so that it could be attached to the radiotherapy table. Procedure was painless. You can ask for female staff. If they can accommodate you they will. Personally I didn't mind who helped me, just wanted to get it done a.s.a.p. In my case, the senior technician was male and very nice - all of the staff were. They even let me pick the music. Good luck with the treatment. Don't worry, compared to everything else this part is a piece of cake!
Just a follow up to my previous reply. If you are going to have the SABR treatment for cancer it is different to the usual Radiotherapy. You only receive between 3 to 8 treatments this treatment is much more targeted than the usual. the radium given is quite intense. Not everyone is suitable for it, and not all hospitals give it. It can only be given for certain types of cancer.
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