title: Experience with carbon ion radiotherapy for WHO Grade 2 diffuse astrocytomas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess outcomes of carbon ion radiotherapy for diffuse astrocytomas in adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between October 1994 and February 2002, 14 patients with diffuse astrocytoma, identified as eligible for carbon ion radiotherapy, were enrolled in a phase I/II clinical trial. Carbon ion radiotherapy was administered in 24 fractions over 6 weeks. The normal tissue morbidity was monitored carefully, and the carbon ion dose was escalated from 50.4 Gy equivalent (GyE) to 55.2 GyE. Patients were divided into two groups according to their carbon ion doses: a low-dose group in which 2 patients were irradiated with 46.2 GyE and 7 patients were irradiated with 50.4 GyE, and a high-dose group in which 5 patients were irradiated with 55.2 GyE.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Toxicities were within acceptable limits, and none of the patients developed Grade 3 or higher acute or late reactions. The median progression-free survival (PFS) time was 18 months for the low-dose group and 91 months for the high-dose group (p = 0.0030). The median overall survival (OS) time was 28 months for the low-dose group and not reached for the high-dose group (p = 0.0208).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High-dose group patients showed significant improvement in PFS and OS rates compared to those in the low-dose group, and both dose groups showed acceptable toxicity.
authors: Research Center for Charged Particle Therapy Hospital, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba, Japan.
authors: Azusa
authors: A
authors: Hasegawa
authors: Jun-Etsu
authors: JE
authors: Mizoe
authors: Hirohiko
authors: H
authors: Tsujii
authors: Tadashi
authors: T
authors: Kamada
authors: Keiichi
authors: K
authors: Jingu
authors: Yasuo
authors: Y
authors: Iwadate
authors: Youichi
authors: Y
authors: Nakazato
authors: Masao
authors: M
authors: Matsutani
authors: Kintomo
authors: K
authors: Takakura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002244:Carbon / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017567:Karnofsky Performance Status; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011855:Radiodermatitis / Q000473:pathology; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002244:Carbon