S2726
RTT - Patient preparation, immobilisation, and verification protocols
ESTRO 2026
immobilisation to improve RT quality and stability. Material/Methods: The Danish Sarcoma Group (DSG) RT committee developed guidelines to harmonise treatment across Denmark’s two main sarcoma centres. In collaboration with physicians, medical physicists, and radiographers from Aarhus University Hospital and Herlev Hospital, six standardised positioning protocols were designed for patients with extremity sarcomas (Figure 1): Upper arm (UA); lower arm option 1 and 2 (LA1/LA2); hand (H); upper leg (UL); and lower leg (LL).
Digital information was received most by breast (n=14) and prostate (n=17) cancer patients, followed by those with lung and head & neck cancers (n=9). Pancreatic, liver and sarcoma patients received the fewest (n=7,8 and 9 respectively). Modified materials included translations, Easy Read, and British Sign Language. Most respondents (95%) felt not all patient groups were fully supported, with needs partially (n=19) or not (n=21) met. Underserved groups included those needing translation/language support (n=10), neurodiverse or learning-needs patients (n=6), rare cancers (n=4), palliative (n=4), and those with limited digital access or sensory impairment. Conclusion: Information provision varied by tumour site and RT provider. It was delivered most frequently at consent, pre-treatment, and first RT appointment, predominantly in print or verbally. Findings highlight gaps in meeting diverse patient needs and the need for tailored, inclusive RT communication guidelines References: 1.Halkett GKB,et al. ‘If we get too close to your bones they’ll go brittle’: women’s initial fears about radiotherapy for early breast cancer.Psychooncology.2008;17(9):877–84. 2.Corish S, et al . Impact of patient information format on the experience of cancer patients treated with radiotherapy.TiPSRO.2024;30:100252. 3.Waller A, et al. Interventions for preparing patients for chemotherapy and radiotherapy: a systematic review. Support Care Cancer.2014;22(8):2297–308. 4.Chen JJ, et al. Patient Education Practices and Preferences of Radiation Oncologists and Interprofessional Radiation Therapy Care Teams: A Mixed-Methods Study Exploring Strategies for Effective Patient Education Delivery. IJROBP.2024;119(5):1357–67. Keywords: Patient Information, underserved populations Immobilisation protocols for radiotherapy for patients with sarcomas of the extremities Tine B Nyeng 1 , Mette Andersen 2 , Jolanta Hansen 1 , Ninna A Pedersen 1 , Hanne K Rose 1 , Eva E Wilkens 2 , Bodil E Engelmann 2 1 Cancer Department, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark. 2 Departmet of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, Herlev, Denmark Digital Poster Highlight 2462
The protocols prioritised neutral positioning to facilitate imaging co-registration and target delineation, stable and reproducible immobilisation, optimal separation of healthy tissues, and feasibility for dynamic treatment and image-guided RT (IGRT) setups. Adherence to standards was monitored over a two-year period (December 2023 –November 2025). Registered variables included compliance with the standards, feasibility of dose planning focusing on gantry clearance and fluence delivery, and number of patients needing re-planning or re-imaging due to immobilisation or planning issues. A control group treated before guideline implementation was used to assess changes in re-imaging and re-planning needs. Results: Across the two centres, 51 patients (53 treatment sites) were immobilised using the new protocols, distributed as summarised in Table 1:
Purpose/Objective: This study aimed to establish standardised
immobilisation protocols for radiation therapy (RT) of patients with sarcomas localised in the extremities. The goal was to ensure consistent, accurate
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