Radiation myelopathy in patients treated for carcinoma of bronchus using a six fraction regime of radiotherapy.
The adoption of a six-fraction regime of radiotherapy for patients with locally advanced carcinoma of the bronchus was followed by the appearance of radiation myelitis in eight cases. These were among a group of 130 patients given radiotherapy with anterior and posterior treatment fields, without shielding of the spinal cord. Radiation myelitis was found only in those where the calculated spinal-cord dose exceeded 3350 cGy (rad). The possible precipitating factors in the eight patients who suffered myelopathy were compared with those in the remaining 62 patients who also received spinal-cord doses calculated to be greater than 3350 cGy (rad). Only one difference was found--the haemoglobin concentration was significantly higher in those who suffered neuropathy compared with those who did not (P = 0.05).
D000368:Aged; D001984:Bronchial Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009187:Myelitis / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000209:etiology*; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000528:radiation effects
D006454:Hemoglobins