title: Thermoradiotherapy of primary breast carcinoma.
abstract: Since 1981, 40 patients with advanced breast carcinoma have been treated with megavoltage radiotherapy combined with hyperthermia. The irradiation dose to the primary tumour was 50 Gy/25 fractions, five fractions per week. Hyperthermia (aim: 44 degrees C/30 min) was applied once a week, 30 minutes after the midweek radiation fraction. Tumour response did not correlate with the chance of long-term local control. The likelihood of 3-year local control was 46 per cent and 3-year survival was 52 per cent. The local tumour control rate decreased with increasing T stage and was related to non-uniformity of the temperature distribution in the heated volume. It was concluded that (a) the radiation dose should be increased and (b) the temperature uniformity should be improved.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy, University Hospital, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hofman
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Knol
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lagendijk
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schipper
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006358:Hot Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D011882:Radiotherapy, High-Energy / Q000009:adverse effects