Effect of Continuous Nutritionist-led Guidance on Bowel Preparation in Patients Undergoing Prostate Stereotactic Body Radiation Treatment With Endorectal Spacing: A Prospective Pilot Trial.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of a daily nutritionist consultation on rectal volume, gas, and prostate displacement during Stereotactic Body Radiation Treatment (SBRT) with an endorectal spacer.

METHODS

Twenty-six consecutive patients receiving 5 fraction SBRT with endorectal spacing were prospectively enrolled for an intensive daily nutritionist intervention utilizing biofeedback based on image guidance from each fraction. A retrospective control cohort receiving a standard bowel preparation was compared. Rectal volume, rectal gas, and prostate displacement were assessed by analysis of cone beam computed tomography. Data was analyzed using the SPSS statistics software.

RESULTS

Intense dietary intervention with biofeedback led to a consistently lower rectal gas score over 5 fractions ( P <0.001) and less variability in rectal volume during prostate SBRT indicating a nonsignificant trend for superior preparation in the intervention group compared with controls, particularly for the first 2 fractions. However, there was no significant impact on prostate displacement as measured by couch correction.

CONCLUSIONS

Intense dietary consultations effectively reduce rectal gas and variation of rectal volume during prostate SBRT with endorectal spacing. However, there was no advantage in reducing prostate displacement. Thus, labor-intensive daily nutritionist intervention with biofeedback is not cost-effective in reducing organ motion in patients with endorectal spacers compared with standard pretreatment dietary advice and is not recommended.