Upright radiotherapy has to ensure that it not only benefits patients clinically but also provides patients with a more positive treatment experience that includes comfort. To remain still for 20-60 minutes which is required for treatment, patients must be comfortable enough to hold still in that treatment position. Early research involving patients who have previously experienced radiotherapy in a supine position has all shown a patient preference for the upright position.
A study carried out at Centre Léon Bérard looked into upright patient positioning for pelvic radiotherapy treatments exploring reproducibility, patient set-up time, and patient satisfaction. 87% of 16 patients involved felt comfortable or very comfortable in an upright position. Comfort scores were higher in an upright position compared to comfort scores when supine. The study separated regions of the body and obtained comfort scores for each of these including head, arms and shoulders and abdominal. Upright positioning scored equal to or higher than supine in all areas. 100% of patients felt comfortable to breathe upright compared to 87% supine.
Another study, by Boisbouvier et al (2023), included 16 volunteers, 9 of which had previously received radiotherapy to their breast in a supine position. 7 out of 9 volunteers preferred the seated or perched position compared to 2 out of 9 preferred the conventional supine treatment position. Different arm positions were explored as well as seated position and comfort scores obtained from the participants.
