title: Postoperative single-dose interstitial high-dose-rate brachytherapy in therapy-resistant keloids.
abstract: Patients with keloids complain of the cosmetic aspect, pain, and pruritus. Many different therapies are being used for keloids. The aim of this study was to evaluate the recurrence rate and outcome after resection followed by a single-dose brachytherapy.
  
  
  
  Patients treated by resection of the keloid plus a single dose of 13 Gy high-dose-rate brachytherapy were evaluated at least 1 year after treatment. Clinical response and cosmesis were assessed by a plastic surgeon and by the patients using the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale.
  
  
  
  Only 24 of the 61 invited patients responded to participate with the study; 29 keloids were evaluated. The recurrence rate was 24.1% after a median followup of 53 months (19-95 months). Patients scored on average 24.3 for their total Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale score (range 6-52), whereas the observer scored on average 14.6 (range 6-42).
  
  
  
  This treatment has a higher recurrence rate than that reported in most other studies. This may be explained by differences in recurrence definition, differences in followup time among studies, and selection bias because of not contributing to the study. The cosmetic outcome for evaluated patients is relatively good. This treatment policy has the advantage that patients are treated in a single day.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Academic Medical Center/University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: C J H
authors.initials: CJH
authors.lastname: Hafkamp
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Academic Medical Center/University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lapid
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Academic Medical Center/University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dávila Fajardo
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Academic Medical Center/University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: van de Kar
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Academic Medical Center/University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Koedooder
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Academic Medical Center/University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Stalpers
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Academic Medical Center/University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: b.r.pieters@amc.uva.nl.
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Pieters
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000379:methods*; D004954:Esthetics; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007627:Keloid / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012008:Recurrence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Brachytherapy; Cosmetic outcome; Keloid; Plastic surgery; Recurrence; Single radiation dose