Immobilisation for breast cancer patients with large and/or pendulous breasts undergoing external beam radiotherapy.

Introduction. External beam radiotherapy is central to the effective management of breast cancer. No universal consensus appears to exist regarding the optimal way to immobilise patients with large and/or pendulous breasts.
Aim. To evaluate the immobilisation techniques used during external beam breast irradiation for patients with large and/or pendulous breasts in order to inform best practice.
Method. A survey to determine breast immobilisation practices was distributed to seventy-four radiotherapy centres in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Results. Patients positioned supine on a breast board wearing a bra, was the most common immobilisation method for the sub-group. Most centres reported the use of the patient’s own, non-underwired, bra. Some centres reported using specific commercially available bra types. Only 2 centres reported using a prone technique. The reproducibility and setup accuracy of the prone technique remains under debate