Tuberc Respir Dis.  1998 Feb;45(1):68-76. 10.4046/trd.1998.45.1.68.

The Effects of High Dose Rate Brachytherapy in Recurrent Obstructive Bronchogenic Cancer after External Irradiation Therapy

• Cho JY
• In KH
• Suh JK
• Kang SY
• Shim JJ
• Kang KH
• Yoo SH
• Kim KT
• Kim CY

• KMID: 2114496
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4046/trd.1998.45.1.68

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Patients with centrally recurred bronchogenic carcinoma make a complaint of many symptoms like hemoptysis, cough & dyspnea. At these conditions, the goal of treatment is only to relieve their symptoms. High dose rate brachytherapy(HDR-BT) is the palliative treatment modality of centrally located endobronchial tumor regardless of previous external irradiation(XRT) on the same site in symptomatic patients. METHOD: We studied the effects of HDR-BT in 26 patients with symptomatic recurrent lung cancer. Patients(male: 24, mean age: 54yrs)were treated with HDR-BT underwent bronchoscopic placement of 192Ir HDR after loading unit(Gammamed(R), Germany) to deliver 500cGY intraluminal irradiation at a depth of 1cm every 1wk on 3 occasions. Evaluation at base line and 4wks after HDR brachytherapy included chest X-ray, bronchscopy, symptoms (Standadized Scale for dyspnea, cough, hemoptysis), and Karnofsky performance scale.
RESULTS
Endobronchial obstruction was improved in 11/26 patients(37%). Atelectasis in chest X-ray was improved in 5/15 patients(33%). Hemoptysis, dyspnea & cough were improved in 5/10 patients (50%), 5/8 patients (62%) & 10/18 patients (56%) respectively. Karnofsky performance status was changed from 76.4 scores in pretreatment to 77.6 scores after treatment. During HDR-BT, massive hemoptysis (2 patients) and pneumothorax(1 patient) were occurred as complications.
CONCLUSION
We concluded that HDR-BT gave additional benefits for the control of symptoms and general performance and endobronchial obstruction & atelectasis. And HDR-BT will be an additional treatment for the recurrent and endobronchial obstructive lung cancer.

Keyword

Bronchogenic Carcinoma; High dose rate brachytherapy

MeSH Terms

Brachytherapy*
Carcinoma, Bronchogenic
Cough
Dyspnea
Hemoptysis
Humans
Karnofsky Performance Status
Lung Neoplasms
Palliative Care
Pulmonary Atelectasis
Thorax