Iodine125 interstitial brachytherapy in the treatment of carcinoma of the lung

✍ Scribed by Erik H. Fleischman; A. Robert Kagan; Oscar E. Streeter; Jon Tyrell; Myron Wollin; Christopher A. Leagre; James C. Harvey

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1992
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 366 KB
• Volume: 49
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0022-4790
• DOI: 10.1002/jso.2930490107

✦ Synopsis

In a prospective study, 14 patients with primary non-oat cell lung carcinoma were treated with intraoperative Iodine'25 (I'25) implantation of the lung tumor via lateral thoracotomy or median sternotomy . Staging mediastinal node dissection was performed in each case. Patients were selected when wedge or segmental resections were not technically feasible, such that lobectomy or completion pneumonectomy would have been required or pulmonary function studies were poor. Doses ranged from 8,000 cGy at the periphery to 20,000 cGy at the center. With a minimum 12 month follow-up, mean and median survivals were 16.7 and 15.1 months, respectively. Local control was achieved in 10 of 14 patients (71%) with all local failures occurring in pathologic stage 111 patients. When separated according to tumor size, local control was obtained in six of seven tumors of less than 3 cm and four of five tumors of 3-5 cm. Both cases with masses greater than 5 cm failed locally. There was one operative mortality and two postoperative complications. All other patients were discharged within one week of surgery. There was no radiation pneumonitis. lung brachytherapy is an excellent alternative treatment for TI and T2 tumors when medical conditions preclude curative resection.