title: Successful treatment of a T1 cancer of the pancreatic head with high dose rate brachytherapy and external radiotherapy.
abstract: In this report, a unique case of a localized (T1N0M0) adenocarcinoma of the head of the pancreas is presented, which was successfully treated with interstitial high dose rate brachytherapy combined with percutan irradiation after biopsy. A total dose of 18 Gy was delivered with brachytherapy (6 Gy per fraction on three consecutive days) to the tumor via after-loading catheter. Brachytherapy was followed by external radiotherapy, delivering an additional dose of 46 Gy (18 MV-x) with four-field technique using conventional fractionation (2 Gy/day). Thirty-six months after completion of the treatment the patient is alive with no evidence of disease. The combination of interstitial high dose rate brachytherapy and external beam radiation therapy may be an effective tool to deliver curative dose without any significant sequelae in the treatment of operable pancreatic carcinoma, when the patient's condition contraindicates surgery.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Oncology, Dept. of Radiotherapy, H-1122 Budapest, Ráth György u. 7-9, Hungary. takacsi@oncol.hu
authors.forename: Zoltán
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Takácsi-Nagy
authors.forename: János
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Varga
authors.forename: Imre
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Poller
authors.forename: János
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fodor
authors.forename: Csaba
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Polgár
authors.forename: Agota
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petrányi
authors.forename: Tibor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Major
authors.forename: György
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Németh
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D001918:Brachytherapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed