BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to review our experience and demonstrate the safety of intracavitary brachytherapy (ICB) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). METHODS: Hundred seventy-eight patients with early T1-2b disease underwent radical external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) followed by ICB boost. The primary tumor received 66 Gy of EBRT over 33 fractions using 6 or 10 MV photons. ICB insertions were performed 1 week later, delivering 10 Gy in 2 fractions over 8 days. Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were used to calculate the actuarial 5-year overall survival (OS), cause-specific survival, local control, and disease-free survival (DFS). RESULTS: Five-year local control rates were 91.6%. OS, DFS, and cause-specific survival were estimated to be 85.25%, 81.7%, and 87.9%, respectively. Median follow-up was 86 months. There were no documented serious complications noted with ICB. CONCLUSION: ICB boost supplementing radical EBRT is an excellent method of enhancing local control for patients with NPC with early T1-2b disease.
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to review our experience and demonstrate the safety of intracavitary brachytherapy (ICB) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). METHODS: Hundred seventy-eight patients with early T1-2b disease underwent radical external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) followed by ICB boost. The primary tumor received 66 Gy of EBRT over 33 fractions using 6 or 10 MV photons. ICB insertions were performed 1 week later, delivering 10 Gy in 2 fractions over 8 days. Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were used to calculate the actuarial 5-year overall survival (OS), cause-specific survival, local control, and disease-free survival (DFS). RESULTS: Five-year local control rates were 91.6%. OS, DFS, and cause-specific survival were estimated to be 85.25%, 81.7%, and 87.9%, respectively. Median follow-up was 86 months. There were no documented serious complications noted with ICB. CONCLUSION:ICB boost supplementing radical EBRT is an excellent method of enhancing local control for patients with NPC with early T1-2b disease.