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Tips for Paediatric Radiation Therapy

How to reduce the emotional impact of radiation therapy on children

With a couple of extra measures, you can seriously improve the experience of paediatric patients receiving radiation therapy. We list helpful tools and ideas that make all the difference for younger patients.
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How to Choose the Right Head Support for your Patient?

Immobilization for Radiation Therapy with High Precision Head Supports and Blocks and Wedges

Orfit High Precision Head Supports and Blocks and Wedges come in a variety of different shapes and sizes, which create the possibility to perfectly adapt the immobilization set-up to the patient’s anatomy and the requirements of the treatment. Find out how to use them to obtain a safe and reproducible immobilization.
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Orfit High Precision Immobilization Put to the Test

Patient immobilization systems as an active component in high-quality head and neck radiation therapy

Today’s imaging and target localization possibilities in radiation oncology allow you to see how your treatment plan corresponds with the location of the tumour. Based on these techniques, corrections can be made to spare healthy tissue. These innovative techniques can only be efficient if you are sure that your patient is immobilized during the delivery of the fraction.
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Choosing the Most Suitable Orfit Masks for Head and Neck

3 steps to find the perfect mask

Orfit Industries has a wide range of thermoplastic immobilization masks, both for head and neck and for extracranial immobilization. This article provides you with a guideline to help find the most suitable head and neck mask that fits your patient’s needs.
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Care and Maintenance of Vacuum Bags

How to take care of vacuum bags for an optimal life span

If you follow a few basic guidelines on cleaning, storing and repairing vacuum bags, you will be sure to make the absolute most out of them.
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Why Radiation Therapy: An Introduction

Radiotherapy as a valuable part of qualitative cancer care

Radiation therapy is becoming increasingly used as a cancer treatment and is continuously developing on a technological level, but not everyone may know what this therapy entails. Based on articles by ESTRO and BRAVO, two advocates for creating awareness about radiation therapy, we explain why the treatment plays such an important role in cancer care.
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Thermoplastic bolus for targeted radiation therapy

The characteristics and use of thermoplastic bolus material

A bolus material can be used to alter the depth of the maximum radiation dose (Dmax) during radiation therapy. It is a tissue-equivalent material, which means that it has similar properties as human tissue when it is irradiated.
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Best of 2018

Top 3 Orfit Radiation Oncology Blog Posts of 2018

It is heart-warming to observe that RT teams continuously look for ways to alleviate some of their patient’s worries. The decoration of thermoplastic masks continues to be a trending topic. Our top two blog posts get you started with painted mask decorations and share a personal mask decoration story. On the other hand, there was a great interest in innovative radiation therapy treatment. The third most-read blog post discusses Orfit’s immobilization devices for proton therapy.
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Perforations and Cut-Outs in Orfit Thermoplastic Masks

Orfit thermoplastic masks are available in a range of perforations and cut-outs. The choice for a perforation type usually depends on the treatment, the patient and the personal preference of the radiation therapist. There are a number of possible applications for each type of perforation or cut-out and in some instances, a certain perforation will be the preferred choice for treatment. However, there are no fixed rules concerning this matter.
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Water Bath vs. Dry-Heat Convection Oven

9 Common Questions About Heating Devices for Thermoplastic Masks

Radiotherapy masks can be heated in several ways, but the most common heating devices are a water bath and a dry-heat convection oven. The first one uses water to make the thermoplastic pliable, the latter uses dry heat. In this blog post, we give you an overview of common questions that may arise when choosing a heating device. It should be stressed that one is not necessarily better than the other, and that the choice between both heating devices depends largely on the personal preference of the radiotherapist.
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I chose a career in oncology in order to help people in their time of need

Radiation Therapist in the Spotlight: Brittany Pyper MRTT

I chose a career in oncology in order to help people in their time of need. Our patients are some of the strongest and most influential people I have had the opportunity to meet. A testimonial by our radiation Therapist in the Spotlight: Brittany Pyper MRTT.
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A video tutorial for the decoration of a paediatric Nanor mask for Proton Therapy

For immobilization in Radiation Therapy

After interviewing staff who decorate masks in radiation oncology departments all over the world, we could conclude that going that extra mile for a young patient makes all the difference. To help anyone who is intrigued by all the creatively decorated masks out there, but does not know how or where to start, we created this tutorial series. 
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Orfit Open Face mask compared to a metal frame-base for stereotactic radiosurgery.

West Michigan Cancer Center prefers the Orfit open face mask over the frame-based solution they have been using for years for stereotactic radiosurgery.

West Michigan Cancer Center prefers the Orfit open face mask over the frame-based solution they have been using for years for stereotactic radiosurgery.
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Proton compatible immobilization devices

Did you know that Orfit has a full range of proton compatible immobilization devices, also for paediatrics?

HP PRO Solution is the ideal solution for treating brain, head & neck and spinal tumours with proton therapy. The base plate with its narrow head and neck section allows the gantry to come close to the patient and minimize the air gap. A patient is immobilized with…
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The value in decoration of paediatric immobilization masks

Mask decoration in paediatric cancer treatment has become a staple for Ingrid Degroodt. Ingrid is a nurse working in the Radiation Oncology Department of the University Hospital in Leuven, Belgium.   How did you come up with the idea to decorate the masks? I studied oil painting at the SLAC…
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A step by step tutorial for paediatric mask decoration

For immobilization in Radiation Therapy

After interviewing staff who decorate masks in radiation oncology departments all over the world, we could conclude that going that extra mile for a young patient makes all the difference. To help anyone who is intrigued by all the creatively decorated masks out there, but does not know how or where to start, we created this tutorial series. 
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Cardiac-sparing for left-sided breast cancer using an Orfit thermoplastic breast mask

Using an Orfit thermoplastic breast mask for left-sided breast patients that are ineligible for breath-hold techniques during radiation therapy treatment.

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women. The standard treatment includes mastectomy or breast conservation surgery followed by adjuvant breast radiation therapy. Adjuvant breast cancer radiotherapy reduces the risk of cancer recurrence and death but usually involves some radiation of the heart, especially for left-sided breast…
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Orfit Open Face Hybrid Masks are compatible with Vision RT

After a thorough evaluation, Vison RT confirmed that the Orfit 3-points Open Face Hybrid Masks are compatible with Vision RT products.
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An Independent study confirms the antibacterial properties of Orfit’s thermoplastic material.

A team of researchers at the University of South Alabama (Mobile, AL) investigated the bacterial attachment/survival of four different bacteria on Orfit’s thermoplastic material.
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An analysis of patient comfort during head and neck radiotherapy.

Physical comfort, mental perception and passivity

Goldsworthy et al explored patient experiences of comfort during radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. The study was published in the journal of Radiotherapy in Practice. In the following blogpost we give an overview of a few options to enhance the patients comfort, following the three aspects of this study.
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Orfit’s Large Digital Dry-heat Convection oven

An easy and reliable device to heat up every type of thermoplastic mask

Orfit recently launched its brand new Digital Dry-heat Convection oven. The oven has several features that are beneficial during mask moulding: It has two large grid platforms for heating multiple masks simultaneously. All sizes of Orfit masks fit in the oven, including the largest head, neck and shoulders masks and…
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Orfit Radiation Therapy Trainings and Workshops

To assure that both distributors and end users understand the advantages and functionalities of our products, Orfit frequently organizes trainings and workshops. These events take place at the Orfit headquarters in Belgium or on site, which could be anywhere in the world. Extensive training In 2016 several distributors from all…
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MR safe label obtained for several Orfit products

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is becoming increasingly important in radiation oncology. (earlier post: The increasing need and interest in MRI in radiation therapy). To be MR safe, patient positioning and immobilization devices cannot contain materials that are electrically conductive or magnetic. Orfit recently obtained the MR safe…
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Sagittilt: Orfit’s highly reproducible, patient friendly and heart-sparing prone breast solution

Breast cancer radiotherapy might involve some radiation exposure of the normal tissues within the thorax, including the heart and lungs. This is associated with secondary lung cancer and mortality and morbidity rates for women with left-sided breast cancer due to ischemic heart disease [1]. Darby et al demonstrated that for…
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Moulding a radiotherapy mask: 11 things that often go wrong but can easily be avoided

Moulding a radiotherapy mask has become a routine task for most technicians. However, problems may pop up either during the moulding process or while refitting the mask for the first treatment session. Orfit has listed several tips to avoid these issues and to assure a high precision, reproducibility and patient…
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New design for UON and DUON masks

After a thorough update, our existing range of UON and DUON U-Shaped Head and Neck masks and DUON S-Shaped Head, Neck and Shoulder masks is now even more reliable and user friendly.   NEW: U/S-shaped frame UON and DUON masks combine the unique features…
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The increasing need and interest in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in radiation therapy

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is gaining interest in radiation therapy (RT) with the emerging development of advanced high precision treatment techniques such as intensity-modulated RT (IMRT) and volumetric intensity modulated arc therapy (VMAT). These techniques require accurate anatomical imaging to avoid irradiation of surrounding healthy tissue. MRI has a superior…
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Orfit HP 5-points mask and the Orfit SBRT compression belt investigated in 2 posters at ESTRO 2016

Two posters in which Orfit products have been investigated were presented at ESTRO 2016. The first poster (EP-1785) by Damodara Kumaran compared setup errors and comfort levels of an Orfit High Precision 5-points thermoplastic mask and a BrainLAB immobilization system. Overall, the Orfit HP 5 points mask and…
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Going Frameless: a more comfortable and non-invasive approach for stereotactic radiosurgery

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) treatments in many cases involve a metal cranial frame that is attached to the patient’s skull. A custom moulded immobilization mask has several advantages over an invasive system, for both patient comfort and the treatment itself. A frameless SRS approach is non-invasive and adds to the patient’s…
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Expanding global access to radiotherapy has both lifesaving and economic benefits

Over the past years, radiotherapy has become increasingly important and critical in cancer treatment and care. For many of the most common cancers in low-income and middle-income countries, radiotherapy is essential for effective treatment. In high-income countries, radiotherapy is already used in more than half of all cases of cancer. However,…
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Orfit Thermoplastic Immobilization Masks used on Elekta Leksel Gamma Knife Icon

© Elekta – Careforthebrain.com Orfit Industries is proud to announce that our innovative thermoplastic immobilization masks are used on the Elekta Leksel Gamma Knife Icon. Elekta is a company with a long standing reputation in cancer treatment and it has selected Orfit Industries to develop an…
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Orfit Hybrid Masks in SRS-treatments shown to be equally precise and less stressful than an invasive immobilization frame

An article about the use of Orfit Hybrid masks in Stereotactic RadioSurgery (SRS)-treatments was published by Jessa Hospital in Hasselt, Belgium. In their Medical Newsletter ‘JessaLinea’ is explained how Stereotactic Masks replace a previously used invasive Stereotactic Frame for SRS-treatments. The article was in Dutch, but we have made a…
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Anti-bacterial coating of Orfit thermoplastic masks also resistant against the VRE bacteria

The Orfit range of thermoplastic masks are known since various years to have an anti-bacterial coating that is resistant against the following bacteria: Escherichia coli Staphylococcus aureus Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) We can now also claim that the coating of the masks is resistant against the Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE)…
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Abdominal compression mechanism developed with Orfit products by National Center of Oncology in Azerbaijan

One of Orfit Industries worldwide customers is the National Center of Oncology in Baku, Azerbaijan. They use a wide range of Orfit Immobilization devices during radiation therapy treatments. The NCO team has developed an abdominal compression mechanism by combining various Orfit products. They position their…
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10 tips to comfortably position and immobilize children or adults with anxieties

When positioning and immobilizing a patient for a radiation therapy treatment, anxieties like claustrophobia can occur when the immobilization is performed with a thermoplastic mask. Here are a couple of measures you can take to prevent this from happening and to make the patient feel as comfortable as possible.
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Thesis: Prone versus supine treatment position when irradiating the left breast (R. de Vries, J. Karst)

In a graduation thesis of the education “Medical Imaging and Radiotherapeutic Techniques” (MBRT), conducted for the Medisch Spectrum Hospital in Twente, R. de Vries and J. Karst compared the prone and the supine treatment position when irradiating women with breast cancer. For the prone position, the Sagittilt Prone…
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Orfit’s SBRT solution extensively tested by Jolimont Hospital in Belgium – The results

The Orfit SBRT-solution has been extensively tested by the Jolimont Hospital in La Louvière, Belgium. Their radiotherapy department was looking for an SBRT-system and decided to do a clinical verification of the Orfit SBRT Solution. We are happy to be able to share their experiences. They…
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Unordinary applications of thermoplastic materials

Orfit Thermoplastic materials used in unusual, creative ways to improve patient comfort Felix de Beer, moulding technician at the Catharina Hospital in Eindhoven (the Netherlands), uses Orfit thermoplastic materials in rather unusual ways. One of the patients, René, has now expressed his wish to share a moulding technique that has…
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Interfractional variability in intensity-modulated radiotherapy stabilized with thermoplastic pelvic immobilization

Study: Lee et al, Interfractional variability in intensity-modulated radiotherapy of prostate cancer with or without thermoplastic pelvic immobilization, Strahlentherapie und Onkologie, 2014,190:94-99 Prostate cancer is a major health problem worldwide. Radiotherapy is one of two major curative treatment methods for prostate cancer (Lee et al, 2014). The use…
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Quality of patient positioning during cerebral tomotherapy irradiation using different mask systems

Study: Leitzen et al, Quality of patient positioning during cerebral tomotherapy irradiation using different mask systems, Strahlentherapie und Onkologie, 2013, 1-4 Patient immobilization during brain tumor radiotherapy is achieved by using a thermoplastic mask. In a study conducted by the Universitätsklinik Bonn, two innovative new mask systems developed…
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Study: hypofractionated whole breast irradiation for patients with large breasts: comparing prone and supine positions

The university hospital in Gent, Belgium has compared the acute toxicity of whole breast irradiation in both the supine and the prone position (Mulliez T et al. Hypofractionated whole breast irradiation for patients with large breasts: a randomized trial comparing prone and supine positions. Radiother Oncol (2013)). The…
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World Leading Cancer Center Studies Orfit Open Face Mask

A superior alternative to a full mask.

The Orfit open face mask can be used as a superior alternative to a full mask without sacrificing the precision of the immobilization while increasing patient comfort and the patient’s ability to tolerate the treatment.
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