Radiotherapy of unresectable pancreatic carcinoma: a six year experience with 104 patients. [/sup 125/I; Betatron]

Journal Article · Tue Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1981 · Int. J. Radiat. Oncol., Biol. Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0360-3016(81)90185-1· OSTI ID:6854042

Whittington, R ^[1]; Dobelbower, R R; Mohiuddin, M; Rosato, F E; Weiss, S M

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1. Thomas Jefferson Univ. Hospital, Philadelphia, PA

From 1974 to 1980, 104 patients with unresectable carcinoma of the pancreas were seen in the Department of Radiation Therapy at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Sixty-six patients were accepted for definitive therapy. Of these, 48 patients received precision high dose radiotherapy to a dose of 6800 rad on the 45 MeV Betatron, using either photons alone or mixed photon and high energy electron beams. Eighty-nine percent of the patients completed treatment as per the protocol. Relief of symptoms was obtained in 65% of patients. Median survival was 10 months. In spite of the high doses employed, 67% of the patients had evidence of recurrent tumor in the treatment volume at the time of death. In view of the high incidence of local failure with precision high dose therapy alone, a protocol using Iodine-125 implantation to supplement the external beam therapy was developed in 1978. Since then, 18 patients with disease confined to the region of the pancreas were treated with the combination of Iodine-125 implantation and precision high dose therapy. Eighty-five percent of the patients completed treatment. Follow-up ranges from eight to 22 months. None of the patients completing the treatment protocol have developed local recurrence of tumor. These results are presented together with details of the treatment technique, normal tissue reactions and implications for future approaches to the treatment of localized unresectable cancer of the pancreas.

• OSTI ID: 6854042
• Journal Information: Int. J. Radiat. Oncol., Biol. Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: Int. J. Radiat. Oncol., Biol. Phys.; (United States) Vol. 7:12; ISSN IOBPD
• 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.
ACCELERATORS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETATRONS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BODY
CARCINOMAS
CYCLIC ACCELERATORS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
DISEASES
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
ENDOCRINE GLANDS
ENERGY RANGE
EXTERNAL IRRADIATION
GLANDS
IMPLANTS
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
IODINE 125
IODINE ISOTOPES
IRRADIATION
ISOTOPES
MEDICINE
MEV RANGE
MEV RANGE 10-100
NEOPLASMS
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANS
PANCREAS
PATIENTS
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATION SOURCE IMPLANTS
RADIATION SOURCES
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIOLOGY
RADIOTHERAPY
SIDE EFFECTS
THERAPY