A comparison of remote afterloading and manually inserted caesium in the treatment of carcinoma of cervix.
Between 1982 and 1985, 240 patients with carcinoma of cervix were treated by radical radiotherapy, 140 using the selectron at the Royal Beatson Memorial Hospital (RBMH) and 100 with conventional caesium at the Western Infirmary. To allow for the increased dose rate to point A (1.2-1.4 Gy/h) during selectron treatment the overall intracavity dose was reduced by a mean value of 25%. Local recurrence rates were similar: 15% (selectron) against 14% (conventional). Three-year survival with local control was somewhat worse in the selectron group (77% against 81%) mainly because of an increased frequency of metastatic disease with local control (19.3% against 12.0%. The use of remote afterloading has not increased late morbidity (15.7% selectron, 15.0% conventional). The introduction of the selectron has brought about a marked reduction in staff radiation exposure. At the RBMH the mean recorded dose to nurses fell from 19 mSv in 1981 to 2.4 mSv in 1985.
Jones
R D
RD
Beatson Oncology Centre, Western Infirmary, Glasgow, UK.
Symonds
R P
RP
Habeshaw
T
T
Watson
E R
ER
Laurie
J
J
Lamont
D W
DW
D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D002586:Cesium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*
D002586:Cesium