Mitigating respiratory motion in radiotherapy: rapid, shallow, non-invasive mechanical ventilation for internal thoracic targets

Motion due to normal respiration increases the volume of healthy tissue irradiated during radiotherapy. The authors propose a simple method to reduce the motion associated with respiration by utilising a standard non-invasive ventilator operated at higher frequencies with reduced ventilation volumes. Results from a healthy subject study demonstrate promise in achieving large reductions in respiratory motion around the lower thoracic and upper abdominal regions. This reduction in motion has the potential to increase access to therapeutic regimes of radiotherapy for a patient cohort that has been traditionally poorly served by radiotherapy.

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