title: Treatment of persistent and recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma by brachytherapy.
abstract: The early results of brachytherapy for persistent and recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma in 30 patients is presented. Fifteen patients were treated by intracavitary caesium, 12 patients were treated by interstitial gold grain implant using the split-palate approach and three patients were treated by both intracavitary caesium and interstitial gold grain implant for the first and second relapse in the nasopharynx, respectively. The overall tumour control rate for intracavitary caesium was 5/18 (28%) with median follow-up of 25.2 months, and for interstitial gold grain implant it was 9/14 (64%) with median follow-up of 16.5 months. Interstitial gold grain implantation appears to be effective in the treatment of persistent and recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Sham
authors.forename: W I
authors.initials: WI
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Choy
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Tai
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001918:Brachytherapy; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006050:Gold Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011859:Radiography
chemical_list: D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D006050:Gold Radioisotopes