title: Early post-operative brachytherapy and free flap reconstruction in the management of sarcomas.
abstract: Brachytherapy delivered within the early post-operative period has been associated with delayed healing and wound breakdown. The objective of this study was to determine whether reconstruction with a microvascular free flap reduced the incidence of wound breakdown after early post-operative brachytherapy and wide excision of soft tissue sarcomas. Four patients with sarcomas underwent excision and free flap reconstruction. Brachytherapy was administered in the early post-operative period using Iridium-192 wires via tubes inserted intraoperatively. In three of the four patients the wounds healed uneventfully, demonstrating that brachytherapy can be delivered in the early post-operative period following free flap reconstruction without an increase in the frequency of wound breakdown. There has been no local recurrence to date in this group of patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK.
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Panchal
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Agrawal
authors.forename: N R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: McLean
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Dawes
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005542:Forearm; D006801:Humans; D007496:Iridium Radioisotopes; D007866:Leg; D007890:Leiomyosarcoma / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D008080:Liposarcoma / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D007496:Iridium Radioisotopes