title: Remotely controllable temporary afterloading brachytherapy for malignant brain tumors.
abstract: We present the results of six patients with recurrent malignant brain tumors who underwent an alternative system of interstitial brachytherapy. In each patient, the neurosurgeon initially inserted several small catheters into the tumor target through a stereotactic procedure or open craniotomy. Later, the patient was treated using an intracatheter temporary implant of a high-dose-rate 192Iridium. We delivered a mean dose of 6 Gy per fraction into the rim of the tumor margin and limited it to 2 Gy at a distance of 1 cm outwards. Each patient received one fraction, 3 to 5 minutes every 2 days, for a total of three fractions. In between these treatments, patients performed regular daily activities and had nursing care as usual. There was no surgical mortality in this study. One patient had late-onset anemia. This treatment modality has the advantage of combining cytodiagnosis/reduction and radiation within one very short therapeutic time period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Chung Shan Medical & Dental College Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan ROC.
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Chiou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D005910:Glioma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D007495:Iridium / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007554:Isotopes; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D007554:Isotopes; D007495:Iridium