Population-based study of biochemical and survival outcomes after permanent 125I brachytherapy for low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the biochemical and survival outcomes after permanent low-dose-rate prostate brachytherapy in a large, consecutive, population-based cohort of patients. METHODS: A total of 1006 consecutive implants were performed from July 20, 1998 to October 23, 2003 for men with low-risk and "low-tier" intermediate-risk prostate cancer. The prescribed minimal peripheral dose was 144 Gy, using 0.33 mCi (125)I sources and a preplan technique with a strong posterior-peripheral dose bias. Most patients (65%) had received 6 months of androgen deprivation therapy. Supplemental external beam radiotherapy was not used. The prognostic features, dose metrics, and follow-up data were prospectively collected. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were used to assess the factors associated with freedom from biochemical recurrence and survival. RESULTS: The median patient age at treatment was 66 years. The median follow-up was 54 months for biochemical outcomes and 66 months for survival. The actuarial freedom from biochemical recurrence rate was 95.6% +/- 1.6% at 5 years and 94.0% +/- 2.2% at 7 years. On multivariate analysis, the pretreatment prostate-specific antigen level (P = .03) and androgen deprivation therapy use (P = .04) were predictive of the freedom from biochemical recurrence. The actuarial rates of distant metastasis and disease-specific death at 5 years were both <1%. The overall survival rate at 5 years was 95.2% +/- 1.4% and was 93.4% +/- 1.8% at 7 years. On multivariate analysis, only age was predictive of overall survival (P = .011). CONCLUSIONS: When consistently planned and delivered, low-dose-rate brachytherapy, without supplemental external beam radiotherapy or intraoperative planning, can produce cancer-specific outcomes for men with low- and "low-tier" intermediate-risk prostate cancer at least equal to that produced by dose-escalated external beam radiotherapy or surgical prostatectomy.

Disseminated intravascular coagulation in a patient with metastatic prostate cancer: fatal outcome following strontium-89 therapy.

A patient with metastatic prostate cancer was found to have low-grade disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). He had significant bone pain despite external-beam radiotherapy and was given 89Sr with subsequent thrombocytopenia and epistaxis. The patient died from generalized hemorrhage 36 days postinjection. Although it is not possible to establish a causal relationship between the 89Sr and DIC, practitioners should be alert to complications associated with the primary disorder which might occur at a time to raise concern about the intervention.

Early and late complications following dynamic stereotactic radiosurgery and fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy.

Between December 1986 and June 1990, 112 patients (116 lesions), underwent treatment with dynamic stereotactic radiosurgery at McGill University. Of the treated lesions, 59 were arteriovenous malformations and 53 were a variety of other neoplastic conditions. In 86 lesions, the treatment was delivered in a single fraction and the treatment of the remaining 30 lesions was fractionated. Complications attributed to treatment developed in seven of the 112 patients (6.3%). No relationship was found between complications and prescribed dose, fractionation, collimator diameter, type and anatomical region of the lesion that was treated, or previous irradiation. Although extensive clinical experience will be necessary to determine optimal total doses, the potential role of fractionated treatment, and the tolerance of critical structures to radiosurgery, the relatively low incidence of complications in our series allows us to conclude that radiosurgery is well tolerated by the vast majority of patients.

Hyperbaric oxygen and postradiation osteonecrosis of the mandible.

The clinical and dental records of 26 patients with the clinical diagnosis of postradiation osteonecrosis (PRON) managed with hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) were reviewed to determine the efficacy of HBO. 19 patients were male and 7 were female; age at the first HBO session ranged from 28 to 80 years (median 57.5 years). All but 8 patients reviewed had some form of surgical management; 7 had mandibulectomy for PRON. As part of management, a total of 9-84 HBO sessions (median 35 sessions) was administered. 18 of the 26 patients ultimately achieved persistent mucosal and cutaneous coverage 1-84 months (median 24 months) after the first HBO session. 13 of the 26 patients met strict criteria for resolution of their disease; fully 21 of 26 patients had improved PRON status following HBO therapy. HBO treatment as part of a comprehensive management plan is safe and effective in the management of PRON.

Clinical experience with electron pseudoarc therapy.

Between November 1986 and June 1990, 24 patients were treated with electron pseudoarc therapy at McGill University. There were 21 females and three males aged 27 to 81 years (median 62 years). 17 patients, nine of whom had received previous conventional locoregional irradiation, were treated palliatively for locally extensive breast carcinoma. Eight of these 17 patients achieved a complete, and six a partial, response to treatment; nine subsequently developed evidence of progressive disease within the treatment field after intervals of one to 27 months (median 5 months) following therapy. Eight patients developed moist desquamation of the treated chest wall, which was extensive in four; one of these patients developed chronic ulceration of the skin. The latter and one additional patient developed radiation pneumonitis. Seven patients were treated with radical intent, two following mastectomy for breast carcinoma, and one each for chest wall lymphoma, chest wall sarcoma, scalp angiosarcoma, scalp lymphoma and posterior cervical soft tissue sarcoma. Local control was achieved in six of these seven patients with minimal toxicity. Electron pseudoarc therapy is a treatment option for selected breast carcinoma patients for palliation of extensive chest wall disease, although morbidity may be considerable. The technique may, however, play a more useful role in other situations where the superficial portion of large curved surfaces is to be treated with curative intent.

Photon radiosurgery: a clinical review.

The term radiosurgery has been used to describe a variety of radiotherapy techniques which deliver high doses of radiation to small, stereotactically defined intracranial targets in such a way that the dose fall-off outside the targeted volume is very sharp. Proton, charged particle, gamma unit, and linear accelerator-based techniques appear to be equivalent from the standpoint of accuracy, dose distributions, and clinical results. However, capital and operating costs associated with the use of linear accelerators in general clinical use are much lower. Radiosurgery has an established role in the treatment of arteriovenous malformations and acoustic neurinomas. Interest in these techniques is increasing in neurosurgical and radiation oncological communities, as radiosurgery is rapidly assuming a place in the management of several other conditions, including craniopharyngiomas, meningiomas, and selected malignant lesions.