Elective neck irradiation in the treatment of cancer of the oral tongue.

A total of 69 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue Stages T1-2-3 N0 were treated between 1952 and 1982 at one cancer center in Montevideo, Uruguay. Of 52 patients with the primary disease controlled, 2 had elective cervical lymph node dissection, and were therefore excluded from the study, 25 were treated with elective neck irradiation, and 25 were followed without irradiation to the neck. In the untreated group, 40% developed neck node metastases, while this was observed only in 20% of the group receiving elective neck irradiation, but only 4% recurred in the elective irradiated areas of the neck (p: 0.0028). The survival was the same for each group (5-year absolute survival with NED 67% for the neck irradiation group and 64% for the unirradiated group). From this retrospective study, we conclude that elective neck irradiation in carcinoma of the oral tongue decreases the incidence of neck metastases but an improvement in survival of these patients was not demonstrated.

The place of brachytherapy in the treatment of carcinoma of the tonsil with lingual extension.

One hundred forty-four of 170 patients (85%) were seen with cancer of the tonsil and received radical irradiation between 1959 and 1980. A 39% crude 3-year disease-free survival rate and a 51% locoregional control rate were observed. Locoregional relapse related to T Stage was 6, 43, 58, and 64% for T1, T2, T3, and T4, respectively. Fifty-four of 144 patients (37%) showed tongue extension, 20% in T1-T2 stages and 50% in T3-T4 stages. Local relapse was 64% and the 3-year disease-free survival rate was 23% in 39 patients with tongue extension treated with external irradiation alone, versus 33 and 43% respectively for 90 patients with no tongue extension. The increase of lymph node metastases or neck recurrences was not related to tongue extension. In 15 patients with tongue extension, treated with external radiation plus brachytherapy, the local relapse was 40% and the 3-year survival rate 60%. External irradiation plus brachytherapy was significantly related to lower local relapse and increased survival rate compared to external irradiation alone in cancer of the tonsil with tongue extension. The combined modality was not associated with increased risk of radiation complications.

El papel de la radioterapia en el tratamiento de la leucemia del nino. / The role of radiotherapy in the treatment of leukemic children

La profilaxis de la leucemia en el SNC con irradiacion craneal y metotrexate intratecal ha disminuido la incidencia de esta complicacion como recaida primaria al 4% de los casos en una serie de 53 pacientes con leucemia linfoblastica agua tratados y en remision completa. Se analizan otras indicaciones de la radioterapia en las leucemias tales como la infiltracion testicular y renal