Carcinoma of the pancreas: results of irradiation for unresectable lesions

Conference · Fri Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1980 · Int. J. Radiat. Oncol., Biol. Phys.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5005642

Komaki, R; Wilson, J F; Cox, J D; Kline, R W

From 1973 to 1977, 20 patients who had histologically proven unresectable adenocarcinoma of the pancreas with no distant metastases were irradiated at the Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals. The patients received megavoltage external irradiation to minimum tumor doses ranging between 3000 rad in 4 weeks and 5700 rad in 7 weeks (median 4600 rad in 6 weeks); their actuarial survival was 54% at 12 months and 21% at 24 months. Fourteen patients who received 4500 rad or more in 6 to 7 weeks had a median survival of 13 months. Six patients received less than 4500 rad in 3 to 6 weeks, and their median survival was 7 months. At this writing, three patients are alive and apparently disease free more than 2 years after treatment. Complications were seen in two patients. One died from GI bleeding 2 months after completion of radiation therapy, and the other patient developed pancreatic insufficiency. These results and recent reports in the literature show that aggressive irradiation can result in long-term disease free survival in a small proportion of patients with unresectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Further exploitation of this approach alone or combined with chemotherapy is warranted.

• Research Organization: Medical Coll. of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals, Milwaukee
• OSTI ID: 5005642
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Int. J. Radiat. Oncol., Biol. Phys.; (United States) Journal Volume: 6:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550603 -- Medicine-- External Radiation in Therapy-- (1980-)
560151* -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Man
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BODY
CARCINOMAS
COBALT 60
COBALT ISOTOPES
DATA
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
DISEASES
DOSES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ENDOCRINE GLANDS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
EXTERNAL IRRADIATION
FRACTIONATED IRRADIATION
GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT
GLANDS
HEMORRHAGE
INFORMATION
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
IONIZING RADIATIONS
IRRADIATION
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MEDICINE
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NEOPLASMS
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
ORGANS
PANCREAS
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
PATIENTS
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
RADIOINDUCTION
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIOLOGY
RADIOTHERAPY
SIDE EFFECTS
SURVIVAL TIME
SYMPTOMS
THERAPY
X RADIATION
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES