High-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy in early stage buccal mucosa and lip cancer: report on 12 consecutive patients and review of the literature.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate clinical outcome and toxicity using high-dose-rate brachytherapy as monotherapy in head and neck carcinomas.


METHODS
Between September 2004 and April 2010, a series of 12 patients with lip (7 patients) or buccal mucosa (5 patients) cancers were treated by exclusive interstitial high-dose-rate brachytherapy. The median age of the patients was 71.5 years (range, 47-87). Stages were T1N0M0 and T2N0M0 in 6 and 6 patients, respectively. A dose of 27 to 54 Gy in 9 to 16 fractions, 3 to 4.5 Gy per fraction, 2 fractions per day with a minimal gap of 6 h in between was delivered.


RESULTS
After a median follow-up of 46 months (range, 10-85), the disease-free and overall survival was 83% (10 of 12 patients) and 50% (6 of 12 patients), respectively. The crude local control in the lip cancer patients was 100% and in the buccal mucosa cancer patients was 60%. No severe toxicity was registered.


CONCLUSIONS
High-dose-rate brachytherapy is feasible and safe and offers the possibility to treat patients in an outpatient regimen.
Department of Radiation Therapy, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy. andrea.vavassori@ieo.it
Andrea
A
Vavassori
Federica
F
Gherardi
Sarah Pia
SP
Colangione
Cristiana
C
Fodor
Federica
F
Cattani
Roberta
R
Lazzari
Luca
L
Calabrese
Roberto
R
Bruschini
Daniela
D
Alterio
Barbara Alicja
BA
Jereczek-Fossa
Roberto
R
Orecchia
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D019583:Dose Fractionation, Radiation; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008048:Lip Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012074:Remission Induction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome