BACKGROUND: A carcinoma is the underlying cause of superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) in 95-97% of patients. The aim of our study is to retrospectively analyse the outcome of patients after local radiotherapy compared to literature data. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In 35 consecutively registered patients, irradiated because of SVCS, different primary carcinomas (lung, breast, head-and-neck, Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma) were ascertained. Distant metastases had already been diagnosed in 33 patients. Chemotherapy had previously been given in seven patients. RESULTS: In 30 patients, radiotherapy obtained a reduction of symptoms within 5-9 days. However, in seven patients, radiotherapy had to be stopped early because of local progress and tumor induced complications. Local recurrences were observed in six patients. The 1-year overall survival rate was 15.6%. Survival rate depended significantly on the performance status (p < 0.004). CONCLUSION: Based on literature data our results are comparable regarding the incidence, the radio-oncological procedure and the response to treatment. These data confirm that radiotherapy is the standard treatment in most patients suffering from SVCS. However, it should be determined if endovascular stenting, which is more frequently considered in the last few years in patients with a tumor induced SVCS, may be a useful option as a simultaneous or sequentially given treatment to optimize the palliative effect.
BACKGROUND: A carcinoma is the underlying cause of superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) in 95-97% of patients. The aim of our study is to retrospectively analyse the outcome of patients after local radiotherapy compared to literature data. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In 35 consecutively registered patients, irradiated because of SVCS, different primary carcinomas (lung, breast, head-and-neck, Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma) were ascertained. Distant metastases had already been diagnosed in 33 patients. Chemotherapy had previously been given in seven patients. RESULTS: In 30 patients, radiotherapy obtained a reduction of symptoms within 5-9 days. However, in seven patients, radiotherapy had to be stopped early because of local progress and tumor induced complications. Local recurrences were observed in six patients. The 1-year overall survival rate was 15.6%. Survival rate depended significantly on the performance status (p < 0.004). CONCLUSION: Based on literature data our results are comparable regarding the incidence, the radio-oncological procedure and the response to treatment. These data confirm that radiotherapy is the standard treatment in most patients suffering from SVCS. However, it should be determined if endovascular stenting, which is more frequently considered in the last few years in patients with a tumor induced SVCS, may be a useful option as a simultaneous or sequentially given treatment to optimize the palliative effect.
Authors: Manuel Guhlich; Teresa Esther Maag; Leif Hendrik Dröge; Rami A El Shafie; Andrea Hille; Sandra Donath; Markus Anton Schirmer; Olga Knaus; Friedemann Nauck; Tobias Raphael Overbeck; Marc Hinterthaner; Wolfgang Körber; Stefan Andreas; Achim Rittmeyer; Martin Leu; Stefan Rieken Journal: Strahlenther Onkol Date: 2022-05-12 Impact factor: 3.621
Authors: Tamir Friedman; Keith B Quencer; Sirish A Kishore; Ronald S Winokur; David C Madoff Journal: Semin Intervent Radiol Date: 2017-12-14 Impact factor: 1.513