Late considerations in the treatment of low-grade malignancy cerebral tumors with iodine-125 brachytherapy.
The authors report their series of 45 patients harboring inoperable, low-grade cerebral neoplasms, treated in the past 6 years with 125I stereotactic brachytherapy. The majority of these tumors were grade I and II astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas (82.2%). A 2.6- to 6-year follow-up shows good results in 65.6% with reduction or disappearance of the lesions on CT images and good social reentry. Nine patients (23.7%) died prior to follow-up. Young patients (less than 40 years) responded well to interstitial radiotherapy, while patients over 40 with the same histological findings of low-grade tumors responded poorly to this type of treatment. Diffuse infiltrating cortico-subcortical tumors, optochiasmatic gliomas, hypothalamic and lower brainstem neoplasms do not respond satisfactorily to 125I radioisotope implantations.
Frank
F
F
Division of Neurosurgery, Bellaria Hospital, Bologna, Italy.
Fabrizi
A P
AP
Gaist
G
G
Frank-Ricci
R
R
Piazzi
M
M
Spagnolli
F
F
D001918:Brachytherapy; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013238:Stereotaxic Techniques; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes