title: Influence of boost technique (external beam radiotherapy or brachytherapy) on the outcome of patients with carcinoma of the base of the tongue.
abstract: We reviewed 90 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the base of the tongue. Fifty-three patients were treated with external beam radiotherapy alone (3 T1, 11 T2, 21 T3, and 18 T4 tumors) and thirty-seven patients were treated with external beam radiotherapy plus brachytherapy boost (4 T1, 15 T2, 11 T3, and 7 T4 tumors). For patients with T1, T2 and T3 primaries, the actuarial 3-year local relapse-free survival was 42% following external beam radiotherapy alone and 67% following external beam radiotherapy plus brachytherapy (p < 0.05). The actuarial 3-year cause specific survival for these T-stages was 37% for patients treated with external beam radiotherapy alone and 53% for patients treated with external beam radiotherapy plus brachytherapy (p = 0.1). In the Cox multivariate analyses restricted patients with T1, T2 and T3 staged tumors, treatment modality was the only predictor for local control but no influence on specific survival was found. The trend towards significant differences in specific survival found in the univariate comparison of both treatment modalities was probably due to the significantly higher number of N-positive patients treated with external beam radiotherapy alone. When all stages were included in the Cox analysis, low hemoglobin level, invasion of deep muscle, number of palpable nodes, and history of weight loss significantly influenced the outcome. Soft tissue necrosis occurred more frequently in patients treated with external beam radiotherapy plus brachytherapy (33% vs. 10%, p = 0.52).
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Clínica Puerta de Hierro, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Regueiro
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Millán
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de la Torre
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Valcárcel
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Magallón
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aragón
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D014059:Tongue / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents