[Side effects of postoperative irradiation of uterine cancer with high dose rate iridium and low dose rate radium]. / Nebenwirkungen der postoperativen High-dose-rate-Iridium- und Low-dose-rate-Radium-Bestrahlung beim Korpuskarzinom.

A report is given about reversible and irreversible complications following postoperative irradiation in cases of endometrial carcinoma. Intravaginal brachytherapy was performed. In advanced cases or in cases with poor prognosis (tumor grading) percutaneous irradiation was added (Co60). In 156 cases low-dose-rate irradiation (Ra226) and in 143 cases high-dose-rate irradiation (Ir192) was applied intravaginally. Reversible complications (cystitis, proctitis) could be observed following Radium in 7%, following Iridium in 14%. Irreversible complications (fistulas, stenoses): 1.9% following Radium and 3.5% following Iridium. When high-dose-rate irradiation was combined with percutaneous Co60 therapy, reversible complications occurred in 22.8%. After changing the Iridium-therapy scheme (reduction of dose from 10 to 7 Gy and irradiation only of the upper two thirds of the vagina) complications only could be observed in the same level as in Radium-therapy. High-dose-rate irradiation does not need hospitalization of the patients.

[Fractionated short-time-afterloading with high dose rates in ambulant treatment of inoperable cancer of the uterine corpus]. / Fraktioniertes Kurzzeit-Afterloading mit hohen Dosisraten zur ambulanten Behandlung des inoperablen Korpuskarzinoms.

In the period of 1.6. 1980 to 31.12. 1981 110 patients with inoperable endometrial carcinoma were treated by fractionated short-time afterloading with high dose rates (Buchler, Germany; Iridium-192) or with conventional intracavitary radium-therapy (low dose rates). First clinical results concerning 12-months-survival rate and the observed reactions of bladder and rectum in the afterloading-group and in the radium-group are represented. The one-year-survival rate and the side effects in the afterloading-group were comparable to those in the radium-group. 35 out of 40 patients (87,5%) with stage I of the disease treated with Iridium-192 were alive after one year, as compared to 46 out of 59 (77,9%) patients treated with Radium. The rate of radiation side effects showed no statistically significant difference in both groups. In the afterloading-group a hospitalization was not necessary, because anesthesia was not performed during short-time irradiation.