Tadayoshi Matsuda

Intraoperative radiotherapy for resectable extrahepatic bile duct cancer

PURPOSE Through a retrospective study of intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) in bile duct cancer, we hope to help clarify its clinical usefulness. METHODS AND MATERIALS Between 1976 and 1996, IORT was carried out in 35 patients with bile duct cancer at the Tokyo Metropolitan Komagome Hospital. Of the 35 patients, resection proved to be curative in 15. Intraoperative irradiation of 15-30 Gy (average 20.1 Gy) was delivered by electron beam in the 5- to 19-MeV energy ranges. Postoperative external-beam radiation therapy (EBRT) was also delivered in 16 patients. The EBRT was fractionated to 2 Gy/day, in principle, and was delivered at 8.8-54 Gy (average 40.4 Gy) by 10-MV X-rays. RESULTS The median survival in our patients was 19 months. The 1-year, 2-year, and 5-year survival rates were 57%, 43%, and 19%, respectively. Statistical analysis identified the following prognostic factors: performance status, curative surgical resection, lymph node metastasis, IORT dosage, and treatment period. Only 1 patient (3%) died within 30 days after surgery, and the incidence of late-onset complications was 21%. CONCLUSION The combination of IORT and EBRT is useful for patients with bile duct cancer who undergo noncurative resection or who have lymph node metastasis.

Clinical efficacy of applying four-field portals to paraaortic irradiation in the treatment of cervical carcinoma.

Paraaortic nodal irradiation (PAI) was thought to be useful in the treatment of cervical cancer, but its clinical application has been limited by a relatively high morbidity. To reduce this morbidity, we routinely applied the four-field technique in PAI. To clarify its efficacy, clinical data were retrospectively analyzed. Ninety-seven patients with cervical cancer, who received a minimum 40 Gy of paraaortic irradiation between 1976 and 1994, were enrolled in the analysis. The patients were prescribed PAI using four-field portals with 10 MV photons (mean 50.4 Gy, range 40-70 Gy). The 5-year cause-specific survival rate was 32.2%. As for sequelae determined using the French-Italian glossary, G1a/G2a of stomach and duodenum developed in 26.8/1.0%, G2b of small bowel in 3.1%, G1b of nonspecific abdominal symptoms and/or signs in 12.4%, and G2 of bone in 3.1%. The operative history group had a slightly larger incidence of gastrointestinal complications than those without operative history, but the difference was not statistically significant. Application of four-field portals in PAI was useful, with acceptably low toxicity and successful compliance for moderate-to-high dose irradiation. This suggests that PAI may greatly contribute to the improvement of the therapeutic outcome of cervical carcinoma.

Rotational 3D-conformal radiation therapy (conformation therapy) combined with hormone therapy for the treatment of stage B2/C prostate cancer in Japanese men

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE In our institution, rotational 3D-conformal radiation therapy (also called conformation therapy) has been applied since the late 1970s to conform the target volume of high-dose radiation to the cancerous tissue while minimizing radiation to the surrounding normal tissues. This technique has been used most commonly to treat prostate cancers in combination with hormonal therapy. The results of Stage B2/C prostate cancer treated with this method were analyzed. PATIENTS AND METHODS Between 1987 and 1997, 33 cases of prostate cancer were definitively treated with this method: 9 Stage B2 tumors and 24 Stage C tumors. Of these 33 tumors, 3 were well differentiated, 18 were moderately differentiated, and 12 were poorly differentiated. The average patient age was 75.6 years. The median pretreatment PSA value was 23.8 ng/ml. The total radiation dose ranged from 60 Gy to 70 Gy (average: 63.5 Gy) with conventional fractionation. Hormone therapy was administered permanently; the primary hormonal agent was diethylstilbestrol phosphate. RESULTS The overall survival rate after 5 years was 58.2% and that after 10 years was 29.6%. The biochemical relapse-free rate after 5 years was 87.0% and that after 10 years was still 87.0%. There were 4 cases of biochemical failure, but no cases of death from prostate cancer. Stage, differentiation, and pretreatment PSA value were not prognostic factors. One of the 2 cases with delayed complications was a case of RTOG Grade 3 gastrointestinal complication. CONCLUSIONS Rotational 3D-conformal radiation therapy combined with hormone therapy might be promising for the treatment of prostate cancer.