title: Radiation therapy in the unresectable cavernous hemangioma of the liver.
abstract: Hemangioma is the most common benign neoplasm of the liver, for which a 'wait and see' policy has been advised when it is small or without symptoms. Surgery is the treatment of choice of these tumors when marked symptomatology is present. However, some of these lesions cannot be excised due to their size, multiplicity, location or medical conditions. In these patients, radiotherapy has been reported to give good results with minor morbidity, suspending the tumor growth and decreasing the symptomatology. Seven symptomatic patients were treated with radiotherapy with a dose of 15-30 Gray in 15-22 fractions. Improvement of the quality of life was observed in all patients and the regression of the tumor volume was confirmed by computed tomography in five, with a follow-up ranging from 40 to 67 months.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy-Oncology, University Hospital of Santa Maria, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gaspar
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mascarenhas
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: da Costa
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Afonso
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Silvestre
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006392:Hemangioma, Cavernous / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011867:Radioisotope Teletherapy
chemical_list: D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes