[Outcome with intracavitary high-dose-rate brachytherapy for primary vaginal cancer].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy of radiation therapy on primary vaginal cancer with high-dose-rate brachytherapy alone or in combination with external radiation.


METHODS
Fifty one cases with primary vaginal cancer who were treated with high-dose-rate brachytherapy alone or in combination with the external radiation in Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from 1989 to 1999 were retrospectively studied, including stage I 10 cases, stage II 13 cases, stage III 23 cases and stage IV 5 cases. WD-HDR18 after-loading equipment was used in the brachytherapy and 6 or 8 MV linear accelerator was used in the external radiation.


RESULTS
The overall 5-year survival rate with WD-HDR18 was 58.8%, with 80.0% for stage I, 76.9% for stage II, 65.2% for stage III, and 0.0% for stage IV. The comparison of treatments with WD-HDR18 and radium therapy showed the 5-year survival rates of the cases of each stage treated with WD-HDR18 were higher.


CONCLUSIONS
Treatment results obtained with high-dose-rate brachytherapy are at least similar to traditional radium therapy for primary vaginal cancer.
Kong
Weimin
W
Department of Gynecology, Beijing Obstetric and Gynecology Hospital, Affiliated to Medical Science of Capital University, Beijing 100021, China.
Sun
Jianheng
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007970:Leukopenia / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014625:Vaginal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*