title: Interstitial brachytherapy for metastatic brain tumors.
abstract: Since December 1979, 14 patients with progressive metastatic brain lesions have been treated with temporary implantation of high-activity iodine 125 sources using stereotaxic techniques. Four patients had prior surgical resections, and 13 had been treated with external whole-brain radiotherapy. Nine patients had brachytherapy performed at recurrence 4 to 16 months after conventional radiation therapy; the other four had implants as an adjuvant "boost" to the tumor area from 2 to 4 weeks after external radiation. Six patients have since died: two with stable brain lesions at 4 and 22 weeks, respectively; three with progressive systemic and CNS tumors at 23, 24, and 29 weeks, respectively; and one with progressive CNS disease 116 weeks postimplant. The remaining eight patients are alive with a median follow-up of 63 weeks (range, 52-239+ weeks). Median survival for the entire group is 80 weeks. Brain tumor brachytherapy may be useful for palliation and possible long-term survival in selected patients with solitary metastatic disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University of California, San Franciso 94143.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prados
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leibel
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Barnett
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gutin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001918:Brachytherapy; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000556:secondary; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local
chemical_list: D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes