Rads with breathing device to protect heart

It was some time ago but to refresh my memory I found this link

http://www.stonybrookmedicalcenter.org/radiationoncology/respiratorygating

They will first do a simulation of your breathing and you'll be able to see how you breathe on a screen with the ups and downs. There'll also be a sound aid, a voice that says exhale, inhale. (Mine was in German.) They'll put something on your chest that detects your breathing. The theory is that you only get zapped when your chest is in the field. So if they forget to turn on the sound or the visual, don't panic like I did! But better make sure this is the case, just in case I got it wrong or I had a different system. It's been four years since rads for me and my heart and lungs are still ok. I'm exercising like crazy just to be sure they stay ok.

Aruba,

My tumor was on the left side and my radiation was done using 'respiratory gating'.  Like Heidihill, I had a small box shaped device that was placed on my sternum in the same place every treatment. It allowed the machine to track the movement of my chest as I breathed in.  When I had taken a deep breath enough to register in a specific 'zone', then I would hold my breath. The radiation would turn on (for about 15 seconds). If I exhaled, or moved out of that 'zone' then the radiation stopped.  Once I was back in the zone, it would turn back on until the correct amount of radiation had been delivered.   I felt the procedure made the radiation safer for me. 

My Rad Onc explained it as when I took in a deep breath and held it, my heart dropped a bit lower inside my chest  toward my back so it gave  more space between it and the radiation beam.  The danger is more from the radiation hitting the arterty than the heart itself so this helped keep it more out of harms way.  (Hopefully !!)

It may be a longer drive for you to the treatment place but if they are doing a more precise job to protect your heart then I think it's well worth it. My drive was almost an hour to get there...and everyday for 5 weeks, but I felt much safer.

Lee

I didn,t have the option of a breathing device when I had my radiation and I have a pacemaker/defibrillator but Im doing fine, (Praise the Lord)msphil  idc, stage 2, L mast, chemo and rads and 5 yrs on Tamoxifen.