Low dose rate brachytherapy in lip carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Lip cancer is frequently treated with surgery although radiation therapy offers comparable results. The aim of the study was to evaluate the local cure rate in patients with lip carcinoma treated with 192-Ir low dose rate interstitial brachytherapy.


METHODS
Fifty-four patients with a mean age of 70 years (range, 40-90 years) were retrospectively evaluated. The tumour location was the superior lip in 4 (7.4%) and the inferior lip in 50 (92.6%). Tumour stage was T1N0 in 33 patients and T2N0 in 21 patients. The radioactive sources with hypodermic needles in 49 patients (90.7%) and plastic tubes in 5 (9.3%) were placed parallel and equidistant from one another across the tumour volume according to the Paris system rules.


RESULTS
The median dose was 61.5 Gy (range, 60-65 Gy). All patients experienced acute brisk skin and mucositis RTOG grade III around the implanted volume, subsiding within 4-6 weeks after the implant. Local control was achieved in 98% of patients. The mean follow-up was 7 years.


CONCLUSIONS
Low dose rate interstitial brachytherapy with 192-Iridium is a well established and efficacious way to achieve local control of the tumour in lip cancer. It offers the advantage of avoiding surgery in an elderly population.
Conill
C
C
Institute of Haematology and Oncology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. cconill@clinic.ub.es
Verger
E
E
Marruecos
J
J
Vargas
M
M
Biete
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001918:Brachytherapy; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007496:Iridium Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008046:Lip / Q000473:pathology; D008048:Lip Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012074:Remission Induction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
D007496:Iridium Radioisotopes