title: Nasopharyngeal brachytherapy with access via a transpalatal flap.
abstract: We used a posteriorly based transpalatal flap for interstitial nasopharyngeal brachytherapy in five patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. All of these implants were done with iodine 125 seeds. The disease in three of five patients has been controlled locally for 27, 30, and 40 months, respectively. Two patients experienced local failure and died. There have been no palatal healing problems despite high doses of previous radiation in all of our patients. No palatal incompetence has been seen. This technique appears safe and should be considered for discrete lesions of the high posterior or superior nasopharynx that cannot be approached by less invasive methods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10021.
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Sessions
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Fass
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Armstrong
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Spiro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000379:methods*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000532:radiotherapy
chemical_list: D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes