A simple technique to minimize needle displacement in gynecologic interstitial brachytherapy: Use of fully stretched elastic tapes

摘要

PURPOSE: Previous studies on reproducibility in gynecologic high-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy (HDRIB) have reported caudal needle displacements as high as 14-27.9 mm. The needle template units in these studies were, however, sutured to the perineum, which gradually moved away from the target due to edema. To overcome the caudal force from the edema, we have been using fully stretched elastic tapes that exert cranial force on the template. To evaluate the effectiveness of our technique, caudal needle displacements relative to the target were investigated using CT coordinates.