title: High dose rate versus low dose rate brachytherapy for oral cancer--a meta-analysis of clinical trials.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the efficacy and safety of high dose rate (HDR) and low dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy in treating early-stage oral cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Library databases, restricted to English language up to June 1, 2012, was performed to identify potentially relevant studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Only randomized controlled trials (RCT) and controlled trials that compared HDR to LDR brachytherapy in treatment of early-stage oral cancer (stages I, II and III) were of interest.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two investigators independently extracted data from retrieved studies and controversies were solved by discussion. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.1. One RCT and five controlled trials (607 patients: 447 for LDR and 160 for HDR) met the inclusion criteria. The odds ratio showed no statistically significant difference between LDR group and HDR group in terms of local recurrence (OR = 1.12, CI 95% 0.62-2.01), overall mortality (OR = 1.01, CI 95% 0.61-1.66) and Grade 3/4 complications (OR = 0.86, CI 95% 0.52-1.42).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This meta-analysis indicated that HDR brachytherapy was a comparable alternative to LDR brachytherapy in treatment of oral cancer. HDR brachytherapy might become a routine choice for early-stage oral cancer in the future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Zhenxing
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Shengyun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Dongsheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000401:mortality*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D006801:Humans; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate