The role of radiotherapy in the treatment of bile duct carcinoma.
Forty-two patients with irresectable bile duct carcinoma (n = 31) or with microscopic evidence of tumor rest after aggressive surgery for bile duct carcinoma (n = 11) were given radiotherapy consisting intentionally of external-beam therapy and intraluminal 192Iridium (192Ir) wire application(s) following bile drainage procedures. The treatment was well tolerated; complications were mainly infectious and related to the success of the drainage. A median survival of 10 months was achieved for the group as a whole. Patients treated following microscopically incomplete resection survived longer than patients with an irresectable tumor (15 vs 8 months median survival, p = 0.06). Gross lymph node involvement also proved to be a prognostic factor.
Veeze-Kuijpers
B
B
Department of Radiotherapy, Dr Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Meerwaldt
J H
JH
Lameris
J S
JS
van Blankenstein
M
M
van Putten
W L
WL
Terpstra
O T
OT
D002759:Adenoma, Bile Duct / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D001918:Brachytherapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007496:Iridium Radioisotopes / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D007496:Iridium Radioisotopes