title: Curative radiotherapy for early cancers of the lip, buccal mucosa, and nose--a simple interstitial brachytherapy technique employing angiocatheters as carriers for Iridium-192 wire implants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate treatment outcomes following interstitial brachytherapy for cancers of the lip, buccal mucosa, or nose.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Regional hospital, Hong Kong.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cohort of 13 patients treated uniformly by a simple interstitial brachytherapy technique employing plastic angiocatheters as carriers for Iridium-192 wires: all but one patient had T1 or T2 tumours and all but one had N0 disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Local and loco-regional control rates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six of the 13 patients received external radiotherapy prior to interstitial brachytherapy. A median brachytherapy dose of 70 Gy was delivered to those treated with brachytherapy alone, while 35 Gy was delivered after a median external radiotherapy dose of 50 Gy to those receiving combined treatment. The 3-year actuarial local control rate was 75%. No significant late complications were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Employing a simple brachytherapy technique using angiocatheters and Iridium-192 wires, in conjunction with external radiotherapy when appropriate, produces good outcomes for patients with early lip, nasal vestibule, and buccal mucosa cancers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, 30 Gascoigne Road, Hong Kong. ngankc@ha.org.hk
authors.forename: R K C
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Ngan
authors.forename: R K Y
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: F N F
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: D L C
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D007496:Iridium Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008048:Lip Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009669:Nose Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D007496:Iridium Radioisotopes