web265: I started my MRIdian treatment in January of this year and finished my 5 treatments in February, mid month. I had a ct scan and an MRI before my treatment to help with mapping. Those images were used within the machine for comparison purposes as the built in MRI was primary for real time mapping and process purposes. Different cancer centers seem to treat imag mapping and preparation in slightly different ways. I knew this going in and had no problems with "extra just in case mapping". When I had the spaceoar put in, my RO also inserted fiducials in case my machine broke down. I had no problem with that either but would have started the treatments again after the machine was repaired but I was ok with anything that gave her a better mapping perspective. Fiducials and more imaging was not necessarily needed but again, I had no problem with that kind of "extra."

I had seen the Mirage study both online and I discussed it with 3 of the 5 RO's I had consultations with so I was aware of the results. It was the Mirage study that was the impetus for my Orlando's cancer center to change their policy to 2 mm margins from 3 mm.

Spaceoar was first suggested by the first 2 RO's I spoke with but I brought it up to the other 3 and they agreed it made sense. The first RO who brought it up was at Weill Cornell in New York city and his time with the mridian machine has been primarily prostates. He used spaceoar regularly though he did defer to the patients wishes if they wanted a different type of spaceoar from another company but he was a spaceoar believer. He felt that the extra 1/2 inch separation between the rectum and the prostate made a difference even though the Mirage study did take spaceoar and no spaceoar into account.