title: [Transcutaneous radiotherapy combined with low dose intraluminal brachytherapy in the treatment of non-operable neoplastic stenoses of the bile ducts].
abstract: Percutaneous biliary drainage is an excellent method to relieve the acute symptoms related to neoplastic stenoses of extrahepatic bile ducts. However, survival rates are low and the quality of life of these patients is poor. High dose irradiation--combined with external beams (ERT) and intraluminal brachytherapy (BRT) through percutaneous drainage--allows effective disease control and, therefore, not only higher survival rates but also a much better quality of life when drainage can be removed after bile duct stenosis resolution. March, 1990, through March, 1993, eleven patients (8 with extrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas and 3 with extrinsic tumors) were treated with combined ERT (40-60 Gy, 6-15 MV X-rays) and intraluminal BRT (6-25 Gy, 192Ir wire, LDR). In 8 patients the biliary stenosis was resolved, completely (CR) in 5 and partially (PR) in 3, as shown by posttreatment cholangiography. In 5 patients biliary drainage could be removed for an average 9 months' period; 3 of 11 patients did not respond to treatment at all (NR). Average overall survival was 14 months: 11 months for NR patients and 16.5 months for CR+PR patients. Treatment complications were acceptable: in two patients only treatment had to be discontinued, both during BRT. Two cases of high grade postirradiation stenosis were observed, both resolved with percutaneous cholangioplasthy.
authors.affiliation: Divisione di Radioterapia A dell'Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori di Milano.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tana
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Russo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cerrotta
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cozzi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lozza
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Severini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Valvo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salvetti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gardani
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D001653:Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000379:methods*; D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma / Q000150:complications; D001651:Cholestasis, Extrahepatic / Q000209:etiology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000628:therapy; D004322:Drainage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
vernacular_title: Radioterapia transcutanea associata a brachiterapia endoluminale con basso rateo di dolore nel trattamento delle stenosi neoplastiche inoperabili delle vie biliari.