Design specifications for a treatment stand used for total body photon irradiation with patients in a standing position

One total body photon irradiation technique used to treat patients employs a standing treatment position and a horizontally directed high-energy photon field. This standing technique presents special problems, including keeping the patient immobile during treatment and offering protection from injury if the patient develops weakness or loss of consciousness due to either medication (anxiolytics, narcotics, or antiemetics) or other causes. In this article we describe a treatment stand designed to manage these problems and use effectively total body photon irradiation. This stand has been used successfully in our clinic at the University of Minnesota for several years and has met or exceeded the original design expectations.