[Cardioxane in pediatric oncohematology]. / Kardioksan v detskoi onkogematologii.

The tolerance of cardioxan (JCRF-187, dexrazoxan), an ethylenediamine tetra-acetic acid analog and a Chiron Company product, administered to pediatric oncohematological patients, is discussed. The drug was used in 37 cases of acute lymphoblastic and non-lymphoblastic leukemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and Hodgkin's disease treated by polychemotherapy including anthracycline antibiotics administration. No untoward side-effects or inhibition of the therapeutic effect were observed.

Neutron brachytherapy in the treatment of melanoma.

PURPOSE: The use of Cf-252 for treatment of cutaneous malignant melanoma is presented. METHODS AND MATERIALS: From 1975 to 1992, plaque Cf-252 applicator neutron brachytherapy was performed in nine patients with skin malignant melanoma of head and neck or chest wall. Neutron brachytherapy alone was applied in six patients; two patients received neutron brachytherapy before and one after photon teletherapy. Tumor neutron brachytherapy doses ranged from 3.9-11.5 Gy. Four patients underwent surgical resection of the primary tumor and in six cases, regional lymph node dissection was done. RESULTS: The patients survival times ranged from 3 months to 12 years; 2-year survival was 50% and 30% of the patients lived 3 years. The mean survival time was 39 months. All but 1 patients died because of distant metastases. Local tumor control was achieved in all cases. CONCLUSION: The clinical study shows the relative sensitivity of melanoma to the neutron irradiation and offer new possibilities in Cf-252 brachytherapy.

Perioperative neutron brachytherapy with californium-252.

Between 1973 and 1988, 495 patients were treated with Cf-252 neutron brachytherapy. Cf-252 neutron therapy sources developed in the USSR has been used in the trial. A numerical reconstruction method for localization of Cf-252 cell coordinates by projections on orthogonal radiographs has been designed and used for treatment planning. Eight (1.6%) patients with recurrent and persistent head and neck tumors and ages from 32 to 48 years (mean age 43 years) were treated with Cf-252 perioperative neutron brachytherapy. There were three patients with oral cavity, one with oropharynx, three with parotid gland cancers, and one with a skin tumor. The dose rate ranged fro 3.2 cGy/h to 11.1 cG/h, the minimal peripheral dose ranged from 3 Gy to 8 Gy. Initial local control was achieved in all patients. Local recurrence developed in two cases. Three patients died in first year after therapy. Three patients died during the second year. Two patients are long term cures, one patient more than nine years and one eight years, that is 25% of the treated patients.

[Contact radiotherapy in rheumatoid lesions of the knee joint using Au-198]. / Kontaktnaia luchevaia terapiia pri revmatoidnom porazhenii kolennikh sustavov s ispol'zovaniem 198Au.

An instrumental-calculation method of assessment of an absorbed dose of radiation in the synovial tissue of the knee joint in radionuclide therapy with 198Au using directly measured topometric parameters was used for patients with rheumatoid arthritis. A group of 294 knee joint of 138 patients was considered by way of a retrospective analysis. Dosimetric indices in all cases (except stage IV arthritis) showed values which were not contrary to clinical assessment of the patients: status after therapy.

[Development of the method of ultrasound topometry of the thyroid gland and computer programs in the planning of radioactive iodine therapy]. / Razrabotka metoda ul'trazvukovoi topometrii shchitovidnoi zhelezy i ego vychislitel'no-programmnogo obespecheniia dlia planirovaniia terapii radioaktivnym iodom.

The paper is concerned with the problem of stereological volumenometry applied to the problems of ultrasound topometry of the thyroid. The organ surfaces are tightened on the basis of information obtained from echotomographic films using a method of cubic spline-interpolation, parametric function setting and methods of computer graphics. Images of sections can be obtained with an arbitrary step and an angle of inclination to the organ longitudinal axis. The main sources of errors of the method were estimated, and their numeric values were given.

[Technical methodologic aspects of clinical dosimetry in radionuclide therapy]. / Tekhniko-metodicheskie aspekty klinicheskoi dozimetrii pri radionuklidnoi terapii.

The paper is devoted to the solution of problems related to clinical dosimetry in radiation therapy with open radionuclides, i.e. technical methodological problems of measurement of an absorbed therapeutic dose of radiation in targets in volume distribution of a radionuclide. The developed methods and means of measurement include a large activity radiometer for measuring therapeutic and diagnostic activities, a topometric ultrasound unit (Aloka) and software. The main features of the method were illustrated on a clinical example of the assessment of an absorbed therapeutic dose of 131I radiation in thyroid tissue during therapy of patients with thyrotoxicosis. The accuracy of the method was assessed.

[The technology of preparation and experience in the clinical use of 252Cf sources]. / Tekhnologiia izgotovleniia i opyt klinicheskogo primeneniia istochnikov 252Cf.

The paper is concerned with analysis of technology, developed in our country for the manufacture and use of pin sources with linear and inhomogeneous (stepped) distribution of 252Cf and sources of flexible assemblies in interstitial radiotherapy of tumors. Clinical analysis contains 407 cases of therapy of head and neck tumors over the period of 1979-1987. In the authors' opinion, the most promising sources (with regard to the frequency of use) are pin sources with homogeneous radionuclide distribution and flexible assemblies.

Californium-252 interstitial implants in carcinoma of the tongue.

A clinical study using 252Cf sources in brachytherapy of tumors began in the Research Institute of Medical Radiology of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR in 1973. 252Cf afterloading cells were utilized by the method of simple afterloading. Dosimetry and radiation protection of medical personnel were developed. To substantiate optimal therapeutic doses of 252Cf neutrons, a correlation of dose, time, and treatment volume factors with clinical results of 252Cf interstitial implants in carcinoma of the tongue for 47 patients with a minimum follow-up period of 1 year was studied. Forty-nine interstitial implants have been performed. Seventeen patients received 252Cf implants alone (Group I), 17 other patients received 252Cf implants in combination with external radiation (Group II), and 15 patients were treated with interstitial implants for recurrent or residual tumors (Group III). Complete regression of carcinoma of the tongue was obtained in 48 patients (98%). Recurrences occurred in 1 patient (6%) in Group I, 6 patients (35%) in Group II, and 5 patients (33%) in Group III. Thirteen patients (27%) developed radiation necrosis. The therapeutic dose of neutron radiation from 252Cf sources in interstitial radiotherapy of primary tongue carcinomas (Group I) was found to be 7 to 9 Gy. Optimal therapeutic neutron dose in combined interstitial and external radiotherapy of primary tumors (Group II) was 5 to 6 Gy with an external radiation dose of 40 Gy. For recurrent and residual tumors (Group III), favorable results were obtained with tumor doses of 6.5 to 7 Gy.

[Patterns of the formation of a dosage field in arranging 252Cf and 60Co sources in a single plane]. / Zakonomernosti formirovaniia doznogo polia pri razmeshchenii istochnikov iz 252Cf i 60Co v odnoi ploskosti.

A computerized study was made of a change in the correlation between the sizes of an irradiated volume and the distribution of sources. Criteria have been established for the utilization of 252Cf and 60Co sources of different active length and design placed on the same plane. Reference dose rate and its derivatives have been chosen as the main parameters that characterize a dose field. A dosimetric analysis was performed using the data for an absorbed dose of neutrons in the tissue, taking account of high RBE of 252Cf fast neutrons that equals 6-7, and a slight change of the local RBE value near the source resulting from a change of the effective spectrum of neutrons in combination with the growth of a contribution of gamma-radiation into the summary dose with the removal from the source. The irradiated volume was evaluated by introducing 3 linear parameters--length, thickness and width. It has been shown that the ratio of the length of an irradiated volume to the active length of 252Cf sources with radionuclide regular linear density changes from 0.7 with the isodose value of 85% up to 0.97 with the isodose value of 60%. For 60Co sources with a higher linear density of the radionuclide on the edges the lower limit of this value equals 1. Intervals of changes in the rest of parameters have also been defined. The results obtained are presented graphically. The results of the study are used for a dosimetric control of the clinical trials of 252Cf and 60Co sources in the treatment of patients with tumors of the tongue, oral cavity fundus, lip and other sites.

[Realization of a program to control arterial hypertension in the industrial enterprises of the city of Cheboksary]. / Osushchestvlenie programmy bor'by s arterial'noi gipertoniei na promyshelnnykh predpriiatiiakh g. Cheboksary.

Epidemiological examination of males from 40 to 54 years of age at nine industrial enterprises revealed arterial hypertension in 19.5% of cases. As a result of intensive treatment of patients in a prophylactic cardiological department the incidence of arterial hypertension reduced, the patients learned more about their disease, the efficacy of treatment improved, and there was a decrease in losses of working time due to temporary disability of workers.