Radiotherapy in the management of chemodectomas of the carotid body and glomus vagale.
BACKGROUND
Because only limited data are available pertaining to radiotherapy for chemodectomas of the carotid body and glomus vagale, we reviewed our experience.


METHODS
Fifteen patients with 23 chemodectomas of either the carotid body or glomus vagale were treated with radiotherapy at the University of Florida between 1981 and 1995. Eighteen lesions were previously untreated. One patient had received prior radiotherapy at another institution and four patients had received prior surgery.


RESULTS
The local control rate at 10 years, calculated by the Kaplan-Meier product-limit method, was 96% for the overall group of 23 lesions and 100% for the subset of 22 lesions without prior radiotherapy. The 10-year cause-specific survival rate was 89% for all 15 patients and 100% for the 14 patients who had received no prior radiotherapy. No patient experienced a significant complication secondary to irradiation.


CONCLUSIONS
Irradiation offers a high probability of tumor control with relatively minimal risks for patients with chemodectomas of the carotid body and glomus vagale.
Evenson
L J
LJ
Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida College of Medicine, University of Florida Health Science Center, Gainesville 32610-0385, USA.
Mendenhall
W M
WM
Parsons
J T
JT
Cassisi
N J
NJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001016:Aortic Bodies; D002344:Carotid Body; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010236:Paraganglioma, Extra-Adrenal / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D010524:Peripheral Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome