Endobronchial brachytherapy with high-dose-rate remote afterloading for recurrent endobronchial lesions.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate toxicity and efficacy of endobronchial brachytherapy with high-dose-rate (HDR) after-loading of iridium-192 for recurrent endobronchial lesions.


METHODS
From 1988 to 1993, 81 patients with lung cancer previously treated with external beam radiation therapy were treated with palliative HDR endobronchial brachytherapy for symptoms due to relapse or persistent tumor of endobronchial bronchogenic origin. For most patients, Ir-192 was delivered in a dose of 3,000 cGy at 6 mm in two fractions over 2 weeks.


RESULTS
Sixty-eight patients (84%) achieved some response: Twenty-six (32%) had excellent, 25 (31%) had moderate, and 17 (21%) had minimal symptomatic improvement with HDR endobronchial brachytherapy. Eleven patients had no change, and two became worse. The median duration of responses was 4.5 months. Those patients with an excellent response had a significantly better survival (13.3 months) compared with that of the other patients (5.4 months) (P = .01). There were two fatal complications, which were due to fistula and tracheal malacia.


CONCLUSIONS
HDR endobronchial brachytherapy is an effective method to relieve airway obstruction promptly for patients with recurrent endobronchial lesions and may be considered as a boost for obstructive lesions before chemotherapy and external beam radiation therapy.
Delclos
M E
ME
Department of radiotherapy, University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Komaki
R
R
Morice
R C
RC
Allen
P K
PK
Davis
M
M
Garden
A
A
D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000379:methods*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007496:Iridium Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D015996:Survival Rate
D007496:Iridium Radioisotopes