Iodine-125 seed implantation as an adjunct to surgery in advanced recurrent squamous cell cancer of the head and neck

Journal Article · Mon Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · Laryngoscope; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1288/00005537-199104000-00012· OSTI ID:5012448

Park, R I; Liberman, F Z; Lee, D J; Goldsmith, M M; Price, J C ^[1]

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1. Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD (United States)

Survival for extensive recurrent squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck remains poor, with the major cause of death being local recurrence. Surgical implantation of iodine-125 interstitial seeds allows tumoricidal doses of radiation to be delivered to residual tumor while minimizing radiation doses to the surrounding tissues. From 1978 to 1988, 39 implantations were performed on 35 patients for extensive recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. The decision for implantation was based on positive margins or close to resection margins from frozen sections after salvage resection. The determinate 5-year disease-free survival was 41%, with both the overall and no evidence of disease 5-year survivals being 29%. Significant complications occurred in 36% of all cases. This figure increased to 56% when flap reconstruction was required. Possible reasons for this seemingly high complication rate are discussed. Considering the advanced nature of these recurrent carcinomas, surgical resection with iodine-125 seed implantation appears to be an effective method of managing disease that might otherwise be judged unresectable and treated for palliation only.

• OSTI ID: 5012448
• Journal Information: Laryngoscope; (United States), Journal Name: Laryngoscope; (United States) Vol. 101:4 Pt 1; ISSN 0023-852X; ISSN LARYA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550603* -- Medicine-- External Radiation in Therapy-- (1980-)
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
BODY AREAS
CARCINOMAS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DISEASES
DOSES
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
HEAD
IMPLANTS
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
IODINE 125
IODINE ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MEDICINE
NECK
NECROSIS
NEOPLASMS
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
PATIENTS
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION SOURCE IMPLANTS
RADIATION SOURCES
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIOLOGY
RADIOTHERAPY
SURVIVAL CURVES
THERAPY