Radiation Therapy of a Chordoma of the Thoracic Vertebra: a Case Report and Review of Literatures.
- Author:
Joo Young KIM
1
;
Myung Sun CHOI
Author Information
1. Department of Radiation Oncology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Hae Wha Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
- Publication Type:Case Report
- Keywords:
Chordoma;
thoracic vertebra;
Radiation therapy
- MeSH:
Chordoma*;
Notochord;
Radiotherapy;
Recurrence;
Skeleton;
Spine*;
Survival Rate;
Thoracic Vertebrae;
Treatment Failure
- From:Journal of the Korean Society for Therapeutic Radiology
1988;6(2):295-300
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
Chordom is a malignant tumor arising from the primitive notochord involving the axial skeleton. It usually occurs at sacrococcygeal and basisphenoidal area but only rarely does at other vertebral areas, especially at the thoracic vertebrae. It has a slow growth rate and is locally aggressive with an extremely high rate of local recurrence. Either surgery or radiation alone often fails to cure the disease and the local failure is the main cause of treatment failure and death. Overall 5 year survival rate is less than 10%. Useful palliation or occasional cure can be obtained by the combination of surgery and radiotherapy. After incomplete resection, the tumor requires radiation dose of 7,000 cgy or more over 6-7 weeks for local control. Tumor regression is slow in response to irradiation and continuation of the regression for several months after completion of RT is not unusual. We report a case of chordoma of the thoracic vertebra, the site of extreme rarity, which showed good local control after partial resection and radiation therapy. He is well and alive without any evidence of recurrence after 13 months of treatment with near complete tumor regression.
