title: Endoluminal high-dose-rate brachytherapy with a palliative aim in esophageal cancer: preliminary results at the Institut Gustave Roussy.
abstract: Ten patients with advanced esophageal carcinoma were treated with endoluminal high-dose-rate brachytherapy at the Institut Gustave Roussy. Eight of them had recurrences after external beam radiotherapy. They were treated with a high-dose rate iridium-192 source. Five patients received 6 sessions of 4 Gy, 4 patients 3 sessions of 4 Gy, and 1 patient received 3 sessions of 8 Gy. The interval time between each session was 1 week. Seventy percent of patients improved their dysphagia, with 80% endoscopic tumor response. The Karnofsky index was improved in most of the patients. The mean survival was 4 months, and dysphagia-free survival was 2.5 months. Two patients had treatment toxicity but only a transitory WHO G1 esophagitis. Endoesophageal high-dose-rate curietherapy seems an effective technique in palliative treatments. We found low toxicity and an excellent tolerance to treatment in previously irradiated patients. The efficacy of the treatment is highly dependent on a precise tumor volume evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Servicio De Oncología Radoterápica, Hospital Clinic I Universitari, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rovirosa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Marsiglia
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lartigau
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chirat
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Delapierre
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Briot
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gerbaulet
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000379:methods*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007496:Iridium Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D007496:Iridium Radioisotopes