Belly down is best for some cancer therapy

Los Angeles -- U.S. researchers say they made a surprising finding that positioning pelvic cancer patients on their stomach is better for delivering radiation therapy.

Dr. Martin Fuss of the Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute in Portland, Ore., says that the finding runs contrary to the common perception that laying patients on their back is more stable, convenient and therefore causes less variation in subsequent treatments.

Because cancer patients must have several treatments, being able to duplicate the positioning of the patient allows for more precision, resulting in less toxicity, Fuss said.

"Variation in setups require the use of margins that extend beyond the tumor into normal tissues, exposing organs with limited tolerance to radiation to a higher risk for treatment-induced toxicity," Fuss said in a statement.

Doctors had believed that having patients lie on their stomach was uncomfortable and can lead to more patient movement, exposing them to more high-dose radiation. However, the study found lying on the stomach -- using a belly board -- may actually help spare normal tissue from unnecessary radiation.

The findings were presented at the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology meeting in Los Angeles.

© 2007 United Press International.