Abstract
Introduction We conducted a prospective imaging clinical trial to evaluate rapid cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging on a C-arm linear accelerator. As part of this trial, we evaluated patient-reported anxiety and distress before and after imaging sessions to evaluate the impact of increased gantry rotation speed on patient experience. Materials and methods Forty patients undergoing radiotherapy (RT) as part of standard clinical care were separately imaged using CBCT imaging on a C-arm linear accelerator with faster gantry rotation (1.5 rpm versus standard 1.0 rpm speed used clinically) as part of an imaging clinical trial. Patient anxiety and distress were evaluated before and after multiple study imaging sessions for all patients, using the validated 6-item State- Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S-6) questionnaire. Changes in patient-reported anxiety responses throughout the patient experience on this linear accelerator with rapid on-board imaging were reported. Results The median patient-reported STAI-S-6 anxiety level across all measurements was low at 20.0 [IQR: 20.0 – 30.0]. During the first image session, median state of anxiety scores were stable, with a median score change of 0.0 [IQR: −4.2 – 0.0] (p = 0.359). Median patient-reported state-based anxiety scores from before session 1 to after the last imaging session were significantly reduced, with median change of −3.3 [IQR: −10.0 – 0.0] (p = 0.001). For patients performing breath-hold during imaging, there was no observed association between breath-hold and state-based anxiety (p = 0.219). Conclusion Exposure to rapid gantry rotation on a C-arm linear accelerator did not increase state-based patient-reported anxiety and distress during setup imaging for radiotherapy.
Recommended Citation
Rezaei, A., Price, A. T., Arsenault, T. H., Woods, R., Kashani, R., Jia, A. Y., Spratt, D. E., Kueny, C. R., & Henke, L. E. (2026). Patient-reported Distress and Anxiety During Cone-beam CT Imaging Sessions with Increased Gantry Rotation Speeds. Technical Innovations and Patient Support in Radiation Oncology, 38 Elsevier.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tipsro.2026.100402
Department(s)
Psychological Science
Publication Status
Open Access
Keywords and Phrases
CBCT; IGRT; Patient-reported anxiety; Patient-reported outcomes; Rapid gantry rotation
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
2405-6324
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Final Version
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2026 Elsevier, All rights reserved.
Creative Commons Licensing
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Publication Date
01 Jun 2026
Comments
Varian Medical Systems, Grant None