Comparison of the long-term results of brachytherapy for T1-2N0 oral tongue cancer treated with Ir-192 and Ra-226.
BACKGROUND
The authors report the compatibility of iridium-192 (Ir-192) to Radium-226 (Ra-226) based on the clinical results of three-decades.


METHODS
From 1967 through 1985, 119 patients with early oral tongue cancer (T1-2N0) were treated with conventional Ra-226 needles and 135 patients with Ir-192 hair pins.


RESULTS
Local control rates at 10 years for T1 and T2 tongue cancer were 79% and 61% for patients treated with Ra-226, 83% and 68% with Ir-192. The 10-year cause-specific survival rates for the T1 and T2 patients with Ra-226 were 76% and 63%, and those with Ir-192 were 77% and 68%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Ir-192 showed good possibilities as a substitute for Ra-226 in brachytherapy for early oral tongue cancer.
Yamazaki
H
H
Department of Radiation Oncology, Osaka University Medical School, Japan.
Inoue
T
T
Koizumi
M
M
Yoshida
K
K
Kagawa
K
K
Shiomi
H
H
Nose
T
T
Tanaka
E
E
Teshima
T
T
Nakamura
H
H
Shimizutani
K
K
Furukawa
S
S
Fuchihata
H
H
Inoue
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001918:Brachytherapy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007496:Iridium Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011883:Radium / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*
D007496:Iridium Radioisotopes; D011883:Radium