Radiation Therapy Board Practice Exam 2025 – All-in-One Guide to Master Your Certification!

Positioning for irradiation in breast cancer treatment is critical to ensure that the target tissue receives the correct dose of radiation while sparing surrounding healthy tissue. The prone position is often preferred when treating breast cancer, particularly for left-sided cancers, because it can help minimize exposure to vital organs, such as the heart and lungs, by allowing gravity to pull the breast away from these structures. This positioning can enhance the quality of the treatment by providing a more accurate beam direction and potentially reducing side effects.

In the prone position, the patient lies face down, which can also facilitate better visualization and alignment of the treatment area during imaging and radiation delivery. This can enhance the precision of the radiation dose to the tumor while reducing the likelihood of irradiating healthy tissues.

While patients can be positioned in other ways, such as supine (lying on their back), which is also a common method, the prone position presents distinct advantages for certain cases of breast cancer, making it a preferred choice in many clinical settings.