• Weirchiang You, Chienchih Chen, Hsiushan Chu, Yuchen Yau, Tingyang Liu, Peishuan Lai, Yungcheng Chen, Niwei Chen, Chefu Tsai, and Heyuan Hsieh.
• Department of Radiation Oncology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
• Medicine (Baltimore). 2024 Nov 1; 103 (44): e40365e40365.

AbstractPatients with head and neck cancers often require radiotherapy, where immobilization devices like thermoplastic masks ensure precise radiation delivery by minimizing movement. However, the quality of these masks lacks standard reference data. This study aimed to establish institutional acceptance criteria for thermoplastic mask quality and quantify their effectiveness using a 3 dimensional stress test and verified the setup errors using daily megavoltage computed tomography (MVCT). Between April and June 2022, 30 patients underwent radiotherapy with thermoplastic masks. Four key facial points (forehead, bilateral cheekbones, and chin) were tested for supporting force. Mean forces ranged from 3.97 N to 8.8 N. MVCT was used to assess 6 dimensional-axis errors, with mean translational errors (x, y, z) of 0.32 mm, -1.09 mm, and 2.24 mm, respectively, and rotational errors (yaw, pitch, roll) of -0.12°, 0.22°, and 0.35°, respectively. The results demonstrated that the thermoplastic masks provided precise immobilization, minimizing setup errors in 6 dimensions. Our findings offer a quantifiable method to ensure high-quality immobilization during radiotherapy for patients with head and neck cancers.Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

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