title: Intraluminal irradiation in the treatment of malignant airway obstruction.
abstract: A group of 79 patients with non-resectable lung carcinomas (T1, 1; T2, 13; T3, 34; T4, 19; recurrence, 12) underwent endobronchial iridium-192 high-dose rate afterloading therapy (5 Gy/session total dose: 5-25 Gy, mean 11.6 Gy). In 39 cases the fair general condition and absence of metastases allowed external-beam irradiation (EBR) to be administered (50-70 Gy total dose; 2gy/day), starting 1 week after the brachytherapy session. In nine cases with superior vena cava syndrome, EBR (30 Gy total dose; 3 Gy/day) was administered concomitantly. Improvement in symptoms of respiratory obstruction was noted in 87% of our patients. The mean duration of palliation was 17.1 weeks in the group without and 34.7 weeks in that with additional EBR. The median survival time was 6 months without and 13 months with additional EBR. In T4 cases EBR had no impact on the 1-year survival (30.8% vs 24.4%, P > 0.05). The rate of severe complications was 7%, without significant differences between cases with or without EBR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Kohek
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pakisch
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Glanzer
mesh_terms: D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D001984:Bronchial Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000556:secondary; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000150:complications / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000556:secondary; D006801:Humans; D007496:Iridium Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000379:methods; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014134:Tracheal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000556:secondary; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D007496:Iridium Radioisotopes