PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of pulsed-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy (PDR IBT) in patients with head-and-neck malignancies. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From October 1997 to December 2003, 236 patients underwent PDR IBT for head-and-neck cancer at the authors' department. 192 patients received brachytherapy as part of their curative treatment regimen after minimal non-mutilating surgery, 44 patients were treated with irradiation alone. 144 patients had sole IBT (median D(REF) = 56 Gy), in 92 patients IBT procedures (median D(REF) = 24 Gy) were performed in combination with external irradiation. The pulses (0.4-0.7 Gy/h) were delivered 24 h a day with a time interval of 1 h between two pulses. The analysis of tumor control, survival and treatment-related toxicity was performed after a median follow-up of 26 months (6-75 months). RESULTS: At the time of analysis permanent local tumor control was registered in 208 of 236 patients (88%). At 5 years overall survival and local recurrence-free survival of the entire group were 82-73% and 93-83% for T1/2, and 56% and 83% for T3/4, respectively. Soft-tissue necrosis was seen in 23/236 patients (9.7%) and bone necrosis in 17/236 patients (7.2%). No other serious side effects were observed. CONCLUSION: PDR IBT with 0.4-0.7 Gy/h and 1 h between pulses is safe and effective. These results confirm that PDR IBT of head-and-neck cancer is comparable with low-dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy - equally effective and less toxic.
PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of pulsed-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy (PDR IBT) in patients with head-and-neck malignancies. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From October 1997 to December 2003, 236 patients underwent PDR IBT for head-and-neck cancer at the authors' department. 192 patients received brachytherapy as part of their curative treatment regimen after minimal non-mutilating surgery, 44 patients were treated with irradiation alone. 144 patients had sole IBT (median D(REF) = 56 Gy), in 92 patientsIBT procedures (median D(REF) = 24 Gy) were performed in combination with external irradiation. The pulses (0.4-0.7 Gy/h) were delivered 24 h a day with a time interval of 1 h between two pulses. The analysis of tumor control, survival and treatment-related toxicity was performed after a median follow-up of 26 months (6-75 months). RESULTS: At the time of analysis permanent local tumor control was registered in 208 of 236 patients (88%). At 5 years overall survival and local recurrence-free survival of the entire group were 82-73% and 93-83% for T1/2, and 56% and 83% for T3/4, respectively. Soft-tissue necrosis was seen in 23/236 patients (9.7%) and bone necrosis in 17/236 patients (7.2%). No other serious side effects were observed. CONCLUSION: PDR IBT with 0.4-0.7 Gy/h and 1 h between pulses is safe and effective. These results confirm that PDR IBT of head-and-neck cancer is comparable with low-dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy - equally effective and less toxic.
Authors: Brian V Balgobind; Kees Koedooder; Diego Ordoñez Zúñiga; Raquel Dávila Fajardo; Coen R N Rasch; Bradley R Pieters Journal: Br J Radiol Date: 2015-08-20 Impact factor: 3.039
Authors: K M J van Gestel; D J M Buurman; R Pijls; P A W H Kessler; P L A van den Ende; A L Hoffmann; E G C Troost Journal: Strahlenther Onkol Date: 2013-08-22 Impact factor: 3.621
Authors: Bengt Johansson; Leif Karlsson; Johan Reizenstein; Mathias von Beckerath; Lennart Hardell; Jan Persliden Journal: J Contemp Brachytherapy Date: 2011-03-31