OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical application and efficacy of ¹²⁵Ⅰ radioactive seeds implantation in the treatment of recurrent salivary gland carcinoma after external radiotherapy. METHODS: From July 2004 to July 2016, 43 cases of recurrent salivary gland carcinoma of the neck after external radiotherapy or surgery combined with external radiotherapy were treated. According to the conventional segmentation radiotherapy for head and neck cancer (once a day, 1.8-2.0 Gy each time, 5 days per week), the cumulative radiation dose of the patients in this group was calculated. In the study, 26 patients received 50-60 Gy, 7 patients received less than 50 Gy, 4 patients received 60-70 Gy, and 6 patients received more than 80 Gy (range: 80-120 Gy). The interval between the last external irradiation and local recurrence was 4-204 months, and the median interval was 48 months. Among them, 25 cases were treated with ¹²⁵Ⅰ radioactive seeds implantation only and 18 cases were treated with ¹²⁵Ⅰ radioactive seeds implantation after operation. The prescription dose was 100-140 Gy. The control rate, survival rate and disease-free survival rate were recorded to evaluate the side effects. RESULTS: The median follow-up time was 27 months (ranging from 2.5 to 149.0 months). Among them, the median follow-up time of adenoid cystic carcinoma patients was 31 months (range: 2.5-112.0 months), and the median follow-up time of mucoepidermoid carcinoma patients was 18 months (range: 5-149 months). The local control rates for 1, 3 and 5 years were 66.5%, 48.8% and 42.7%, respectively. The 1-, 3- and 5- year survival rates were 88.0%, 56.7% and 45.8%, respectively. The disease-free survival rates of 1, 3 and 5 years were 58.3%, 45.4% and 38.1%, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in local control rate, survival rate, and disease-free survival between the radioactive seeds implantation group and the radioactive seeds implantation group after surgical resection. There were 2 cases of acute radiation reaction Ⅰ/Ⅱ and 3 cases of reaction Ⅲ or above. In the late stage of radiotherapy, there were 8 cases with Ⅰ/Ⅱ grade reaction and 3 cases with Ⅲ grade or above reaction. The incidence of radiation reactions of Grade Ⅲ and above was 7%. CONCLUSION ¹²⁵Ⅰ radioactive seeds implantation provides an alternative method for the treatment of recurrent salivary gland carcinoma after external radiotherapy. The local control rate and survival rate are improved on the premise of low incidence of side effects.
Brachytherapy/adverse effects* ; Humans ; Iodine Radioisotopes/therapeutic use* ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/radiotherapy* ; Salivary Gland Neoplasms/radiotherapy* ; Salivary Glands

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this analysis was to examine the management of cervix cancer in elderly patients referred for radiotherapy and the results of treatment in terms of overall survival (OS), relapse-free survival (RFS), and treatment-related toxicities. METHODS: Patients were eligible if they were aged ≥75 years, newly diagnosed with cervix cancer and referred for radiotherapy as part of their treatment. Patient details were retrieved from the gynaecology service database where clinical, histopathological treatment and follow-up data were prospectively collected. RESULTS: From 1998 to 2010, 126 patients aged ≥75 years, met selection criteria. Median age was 81.5 years. Eighty-one patients had definitive radiotherapy, 10 received adjuvant radiotherapy and 35 had palliative radiotherapy. Seventy-one percent of patients had the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage 1b–2b disease. Median follow-up was 37 months. OS and RFS at 3 years among those treated with curative intent were 66.6% and 75.9% respectively with majority of patients dying without any evidence of cervix cancer. Grade 2 or more late toxicities were: bladder 5%, bowel 11%, and vagina 27%. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) status was a significant predictor of OS and RFS with each unit increment in ECOG score increased the risk of death by 1.69 times (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Following appropriate patient selection, elderly patients treated curatively with radiotherapy for cervix cancer have good disease control. Palliative hypofractionated regimens are well tolerated in patients unsuitable for radical treatment.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Brachytherapy ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/prevention & control ; Neoplasm Staging ; Palliative Care ; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant/adverse effects ; Survival Rate ; *Treatment Outcome ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/mortality/pathology/*radiotherapy

OBJECTIVE: To assess the outcome of the treatment of primary vaginal cancer using definitive radiotherapy (RT) and to evaluate the prognostic factors of survival. METHODS: The medical records of nine institutions were retrospectively reviewed to find the patients with vaginal cancer treated with definitive RT with or without chemotherapy. A total of 138 patients met the inclusion criteria. None had undergone curative excision. RESULTS: The median follow-up time of the survivors was 77.6 months and the median survival time was 46.9 months. The 5-year overall survival, cancer-specific survival (CSS), and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 68%, 80%, and 68.7%, respectively. In the survival analysis, the multivariate analysis showed that a lower the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage and prior hysterectomy were favorable prognostic factors of CSS, and a lower FIGO stage and diagnosed prior to year 2000 were favorable prognostic factors of PFS. In the subgroup analysis of the patients with available human papillomavirus (HPV) results (n=27), no statistically significant relationship between the HPV status and recurrence or survival was found. Grade 3 or 4 acute and late toxicity were present in 16 and 9 patients, respectively. The FIGO stage and the tumor size were predictors of severe late toxicity. CONCLUSION: The data clearly showed that a higher FIGO stage was correlated with a worse survival outcome and higher severe late toxicity. Therefore, precise RT and careful observation are crucial in advanced vaginal cancer. In this study, the HPV status was not related to the survival outcome, but its further investigation is needed.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Brachytherapy ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/mortality/*radiotherapy/secondary/virology ; Chemoradiotherapy ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Papillomavirus Infections/diagnosis ; Radiotherapy/adverse effects ; Republic of Korea ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Outcome ; Tumor Burden ; Vaginal Neoplasms/mortality/pathology/*radiotherapy/virology

OBJECTIVE: To assess actual rates of late vaginal stenosis and identify predisposing factors for complications among patients with previously untreated cervical cancer following high-dose-rate brachytherapy. METHODS: We performed longitudinal analyses of 57 patients using the modified Dische score at 6, 12, 18, 24, 36, and 60 months after treatment, which consisted of 15 interstitial brachytherapys and 42 conventional intracavitary brachytherapys, with a median follow-up time of 36 months (range, 6 to 144 months). RESULTS: More than half of the patients developed grade 1 (mild) vaginal stenosis within the first year of follow-up, and grade 2 (97.5%, moderate) to grade 3 (severe) stenosis gradually increased with time. Actual stenosis rates for grade 1, 2, and 3 were 97.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 92.7 to 97.5), 60.7% (95% CI, 42.2 to 79.3), and 7.4% (95% CI, 0 to 18.4) at 3 years after treatment. Pallor reaction grade 2-3 at 6 months was only a statistically significant predisposing factor for grade 2-3 late vaginal stenosis 3 years or later with a hazard ratio of 3.48 (95% CI, 1.32 to 9.19; p=0.018) by a multivariate Cox proportional hazard model. Patients with grade 0-1 pallor reaction at 6 months showed a grade > or =2 vaginal stenosis rate of 53%, whereas the grade 2-3 pallor reaction group achieved a grade > or =2 vaginal stenosis rate at 3 years at 100% (p=0.001). CONCLUSION: High-dose-rate brachytherapy was associated with high incidence of late vaginal stenosis. Pallor reaction grade 2-3 at 6 months was predictive of late grade 2-3 vaginal stenosis at 3 years after treatment. These findings should prove helpful for patient counseling and preventive intervention.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Brachytherapy/*adverse effects/methods ; Constriction, Pathologic/etiology/pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Iridium Radioisotopes/therapeutic use ; Middle Aged ; *Pallor ; Prognosis ; Prospective Studies ; Radiopharmaceuticals/therapeutic use ; Retrospective Studies ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/*radiotherapy ; Vaginal Diseases/*etiology/pathology

OBJECTIVE: Concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) is the primary treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer. We studied prognostic factors for patients treated with CCRT. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed records of 85 consecutive patients with cervical cancer who were treated with CCRT between 2002 and 2011, with external beam radiation therapy, intracavitary brachytherapy, and platinum-based chemotherapy. Survival data were analyzed with Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS: Of the 85 patients, 69 patients (81%) had International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage III/IV disease; 25 patients (29%) had pelvic lymph node enlargement (based on magnetic resonance imaging), and 64 patients (75%) achieved clinical remission following treatment. Median maximum tumor diameter was 5.5 cm. The 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were 60.3% and 55.5%, respectively. Cox regression analysis showed tumor diameter >6 cm (hazard ratio [HR], 2.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2 to 4.6), pelvic lymph node enlargement (HR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.1 to 4.5), and distant metastasis (HR, 10.0; 95% CI, 3.7 to 27.0) were significantly and independently related to poor outcomes. CONCLUSION: New treatment strategies should be considered for locally advanced cervical cancers with tumors >6 cm and radiologically enlarged pelvic lymph nodes.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Brachytherapy/adverse effects/methods ; Chemoradiotherapy/adverse effects/*methods ; Female ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/diagnosis/pathology/*therapy

PURPOSE: To investigate the difference in rectal complications rate following prostate low dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy based on prostate-rectum distance and prostate longitudinal length among early prostate cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From March 2008 to February 2013, 245 prostate cancer patients with a Gleason score < or =7 were treated with 125-I LDR brachytherapy. Among them, 178 patients with prostate volume 20-35 mL and a follow-up period > or =6 months were evaluated for radiation proctitis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed for a prebrachytherapy evaluation, and prostate-rectum distance and prostate longitudinal length were measured. The radiation proctitis was confirmed and graded via colonoscopy based on the radiation therapy oncology group (RTOG) toxicity criteria. RESULTS: Twenty-three patients received a colonoscopy for proctitis evaluation, and 12 were identified as grade 1 on the RTOG scale. Nine patients were diagnosed as grade 2 and 2 patients were grade 3. No patient developed grade 4 proctitis. The rectal-complication group had a mean prostate-rectum distance of 2.51+/-0.16 mm, while non-rectal-complication control group had 3.32+/-0.31 mm. The grade 1 proctitis patients had a mean prostate-rectum distance of 2.80+/-0.15 mm, which was significantly longer than 2.12+/-0.31 mm of grades 2 and 3 patient groups (p=0.045). All 11 patients of grades 2 and 3 had a prostate longitudinal length of 35.22+/-2.50 mm, which was longer than group 1, but the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.214). CONCLUSIONS: As the prostate-rectum distance increased, fewer postimplantation rectal symptoms were observed. Patients with a shorter prostate-rectum distance in MRI should receive modified implantation techniques or radical prostatectomy.
Aged ; Brachytherapy/*adverse effects ; Carcinoma/*radiotherapy ; Colonoscopy ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Organ Size ; Proctitis/diagnosis/*etiology ; Prostate/*pathology ; Prostatic Neoplasms/*radiotherapy ; Radiation Injuries/diagnosis/*etiology ; Severity of Illness Index

OBJECTIVE: To study the radition injury of tracheal mucous membrane tissue after interstitial implanted radioactive 125I in normal rabbit,improve the safety of clinical application. METHOD: Sixty New Zealand rabbits, weighing 2.15-2.30 kg, were randomly divided into 1 w, 1 m, 2 m, 4 m and the control group, the control group was further divided into four subgroups. The 0.8mCi 125I seeds were implanted into the tissue by the first tracheal ring in the treatment groups and nonradioactive seeds were implanted in the control group. Taking the tracheal mucous membrane tissue for pathological examination by HE staining to observe the mucosal injury and VEGF, Pan-Cadherin immunohistochemical staining to observe the expression in differernt time. RESULT: Immunohistochemical staining: VEGF and Pan-Cadherin have statistically significant differences in the expression on different time, the expression is dynamic. CONCLUSION The expression of VEGF and Pan-Cadherin reflect the radioactive 125I seed has little influence on normal trachea tissue and the damage can be repaired by the regeneration of the basal cell.
Animals ; Brachytherapy ; adverse effects ; Iodine Radioisotopes ; adverse effects ; Rabbits ; Radiation Injuries ; pathology ; Trachea ; pathology ; radiation effects

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to report on the long-term results of transabdominal ultrasound guided conformal brachytherapy in patients with cervical cancer with respect to patterns of failures, treatment related toxicities and survival. METHODS: Three hundred and nine patients with cervical cancer who presented to Institute between January 1999 and December 2008 were staged with magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography and treated with external beam radiotherapy and high dose rate conformal image guided brachytherapy with curative intent. Follow-up data relating to sites of failure and toxicity was recorded prospectively. RESULTS: Two hundred and ninety-two patients were available for analyses. The median (interquantile range) follow-up time was 4.1 years (range, 2.4 to 6.1 years). Five-year failure free survival and overall survival (OS) were 66% and 65%, respectively. Primary, pelvic, para-aortic, and distant failure were observed in 12.5%, 16.4%, 22%, and 23% of patients, respectively. In multivariate analysis, tumor volume and nodal disease related to survival, whereas local disease control and point A dose did not. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound guided conformal brachytherapy of cervix cancer has led to optimal local control and OS. The Melbourne protocol compares favorably to the more technically elaborate and expensive GEC-ESTRO recommendations. The Melbourne protocol's technical simplicity with real-time imaging and treatment planning makes this a method of choice for treating patients with cervical cancer.
Adenocarcinoma/pathology/radiography/secondary/ultrasonography ; Adult ; Aged ; Brachytherapy/adverse effects/*methods ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/pathology/radiography/secondary/ultrasonography ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis ; Prospective Studies ; Radiation Dosage ; Radiotherapy, Conformal/adverse effects/*methods ; Treatment Failure ; Ultrasonography, Interventional/*methods ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/pathology/*radiography/ultrasonography

OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical value and efficacy of reduced field intensity modulated radiation therapy (RF-IMRT) for patients with advanced cervical cancer.

METHODSSeventy-one patients with stage IIB-IIIB cervical cancer, who underwent reduced field IMRT (RF-IMRT group) and 72 patients treated with conventional radiotherapy (c-RT group) in Shandong Cancer Hospital between 2005 August and 2011 August, were enrolled in this study. The RF-IMRT plans were as follows: whole pelvic IMRT plan was performed to deliver an initial dose of 30 Gy, then the irradiated volume was reduced to lymphatic drainage region as well as paracervix and parametrium for an additional 30 Gy boost. Conventional 2-field RT plan was performed in these patients using ADAC Pinnacle 3 planning system, to be given the same prescription dose, and to compare the irradiation dose of organs at risk (OARs). At the same time, conventional 2-field RT was performed in 72 patients of the c-RT group. Concurrent chemotherapy and intracavitary brachytherapy were also performed in the two groups. The treatment response, toxicities, normal tissue avoidance, and survival were assessed.

RESULTSSixty-six patients of the RF-IMRT group and 65 patients of the c-RT group fulfilled the treatment plan. IMRT plans yielded better dose conformity to the target (0.711 ± 0.057 vs. 0.525 ± 0.062, P = 0.032) and better sparing of the rectum, bladder and small intestine (rectum: 41.6 ± 6.8 vs. 50.8 ± 3.2, P = 0.016; bladder: 40.2 ± 2.9 vs. 51.4 ± 1.8, P = 0.007; small intestine: 22.3 ± 2.6 vs. 35.8 ± 3.9, P = 0.004). The mean dose delivered to the planning target volume (PTV) was significantly higher in the RF-IMRT group than that in the c-RT group (60.8 vs. 51.2 Gy, P = 0.006). The RF-IMRT patients experienced significantly lower acute and chronic toxicities with comparable short-term effects than did those treated with conventional RT (P > 0.05). No significant differences were found between the two groups for 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates, while a significantly higher progression-free survival (PFS, 65.2% vs. 46.2%, P = 0.031) rate was observed in the RF-IMRT group.

CONCLUSIONSRF-IMRT yields higher dose distributions and lower toxicities compared with conventional RT, and both the tumor target volume and pelvic lymphatic drainage region achieve curative dose irradiation, the adjacent organs at risk are well protected, and with tolerable adverse reactions. Yet, RF-IMRT provides comparable clinical outcomes and higher PFS.

Adenocarcinoma ; drug therapy ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; Brachytherapy ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; drug therapy ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; Chemoradiotherapy ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Organs at Risk ; Radiotherapy Dosage ; Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted ; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated ; adverse effects ; methods ; Remission Induction ; Survival Rate ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; radiotherapy

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of brachytherapy with computed tomography-guided percutaneous radioactive I-125 seeds interstitial implantation (ISI) synchronized chemotherapy and Chinese medicine (CM) for the treatment of advanced stage of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODSNinety patients diagnosed with NSCLC by biopsy were randomly assigned to three groups: the synchronized therapy group (A), the chemotherapy plus CM-treated group (B), and the chemotherapy-treated group (C); a 2-month course of treatment was administered to them all. The effectiveness of treatment was evaluated based on tumor size, tumor markers (carcinoembryonic, squamous cell carcinoma-associated antigen, and cytokeratin 19 fragment), clinical symptoms, and quality of life (QOL) in patients.

RESULTSThe total effective rates of Groups A to C were 83.33%, 46.67%, and 43.33%, respectively. The tumor markers were reduced obviously in Group A, showing signifificant difference compared with those in the other two groups. Additionally, QOL was elevated and cancer-related symptoms were alleviated more signifificant in Group A than those in Group C (all P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe synchronized therapy of I-125 implantation with chemotherapy and CM was a safe therapeutic method and can be regarded as a new mode for treatment of advanced-stage NSCLC.

Antineoplastic Agents ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; metabolism ; Brachytherapy ; adverse effects ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; drug therapy ; radiotherapy ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Iodine Radioisotopes ; Lung Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; radiotherapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Quality of Life ; Treatment Outcome