Preparation and behavioral training for young children receiving proton radiotherapy without sedation

Young children undergoing proton radiotherapy often require daily sedation to assure a fixed reproducible position. The use of sedation adds risk and costs to procedures of treatment. This article describes preparation program and behavioral training to cooperate and motion control for 24 children between the ages of 3 and 7. Twenty of the 24 appeared to benefit from the behavioral program. They accomplished the proton radiotherapy without repeated sedation. (author)