European results of neutron therapy in soft tissue sarcomas.

The purpose of this publication is to review the data of European neutron therapy facilities in the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma. In the past locally advanced soft tissue sarcoma was a common indication for neutron therapy in several European centers. Data from 1171 patients treated at 11 centers were analysed on the basis of published data or personal communication. Neutron therapy was of benefit especially for patients with primary radiotherapy of inoperable tumors, and with macroscopic disease after surgery. Local control was about 50% in these patients. These results are superior to those from photon therapy from the literature. Results for postoperative neutron therapy after R0- and R1-resection are similar to those from photon therapy. The incidence of late side effects was considerably high in some neutron series. This is influenced by the treatment of most patients with first-generation machines of limited technical standard, and that in most cases large treatment volumes were irradiated.

Neutron therapy in malignant salivary gland tumors: results at European centers.

Malignant salivary gland tumors are relatively rare and account for only 3%-4% of all head and neck cancers. Especially in adenoid cystic carcinoma, the incidence of local recurrence and distant metastases is influenced by the perineural spread of tumor. In advanced salivary gland tumors, surgery alone has a high incidence of local failure. The results of conventional radiotherapy are suboptimal in inoperable or not completely resected salivary gland tumors and in recurrent disease. The pooled data of some international series for low linear energy transfer radiation show a local control of only 28%. Especially in advanced salivary gland tumors, neutron therapy can improve local control. In Europe at least 570 patients with salivary gland tumors have been treated with neutrons alone or with combined modalities. The clinical data of different centers in Europe and the United States result in a similar local control rate of 67% in gross disease. An analysis of different European series shows on average a complication rate of 10.6% for severe radiation-related morbidity. Modern neutron machines and the use of three-dimensional treatment planning systems are now available in a few institutions and may further reduce side effects.

Neutrontherapy in soft tissue sarcomas: a review of European results.

The purpose of this publication is to review the data on European neutrontherapy facilities in the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma. Data on 1171 patients treated at 11 centers were analyzed. Neutrontherapy was of advantage especially for patients with primary radiotherapy of inoperable tumors, and those with macroscopic disease after surgery. Local control was about 50% in these groups. Results for postoperative neutrontherapy after R0 and R1 resection were similar to those for photon therapy. The incidence of late side effects was considerable. This was influenced by the fact that most patients were treated with first-generation machines.

Fast neutron therapy in treatment of soft tissue sarcoma--the Berlin-Buch study.

From 1975-1994, 221 adult patients with a total of 232 radiation sites for soft tissue sarcomas were irradiated with fast neutrons with a mean energy of 6.2 MeV in Berlin-Buch/Dresden-Rossendorf. The tumour dose ranged between 6 and 12 Gy and was limited by the low dose penetration of the neutron beam. A local control rate of 66% was obtained. The local control was affected by the tumour differentiation, residual status and histological subtype. Severe fibrosis of the subcutaneous tissues occurred in 40% usually after 2 years. No serious general side effects occurred. To optimize neutron therapy, a high energy clinically-based cyclotron with a fully rotational gantry and a multileaf collimator should be utilized. It seems that patients with locally advanced and well differentiated sarcomas can benefit from this therapy.

European results in neutron therapy of malignant salivary gland tumors.

In Europe to date, 501 patients with salivary gland tumors have been treated with neutrons alone or with combined modalities. The most common histological types are adenoid cystic carcinomas, mucoepidermoid carcinomas and malignant mixed tumors. The results of conventional radiotherapy are suboptimal in inoperable or incompletely resected salivary gland tumors and in recurrent disease. The pooled data of some international series for low linear energy transfer radiation show a local control of 28%. Especially in advanced tumors neutron therapy can improve local control and should be the treatment of choice. The clinical data from different therapy centers in Europe show local control of 67% in gross disease.

Fast neutron therapy of bronchus carcinoma: the pooled results from two European centres.

The Berlin-Buch and Heidelberg centres used fast neutron therapy in bronchial carcinomas. The neutron source was a cyclotron in Berlin-Buch/Rossendorf and a d-t generator in Heidelberg. Three hundred twelve patients with inoperable bronchial carcinoma were treated with fast neutron therapy alone or in combination with photons. The results were then compared with those obtained from 594 patients treated only with photons. Altogether, 788 were treated in Berlin-Buch and 188 in Heidelberg. The results suggest that neutron therapy for bronchial carcinoma can be a good alternative in curative and palliative situations in the early stages.

Quality assurance in radiotherapy--a clinical view-point.

Despite the advanced treatment methods now available, the total result in 5-year survival is 40-50% of all patients with malignancies and 20% of these patients will have the chance of a 10-year survival. In the course of their disease a radiotherapy is indicated in about 2/3 of all cancer patients. Thus, radiotherapy makes quite a considerable contribution to the qualitative improvement of the treatment of patients with malignancies. Eradication of the tumor and protection of normal tissue can be only a compromise between tumor control and the production of complications. For the risk assessment of radiotherapy, the steepness of dose-response curves is of paramount importance. That means, small errors in defining and delivering dose can have catastrophic results in terms of failure to control the patient's disease and, on the other side, in terms of complications, that means in quality of life. Although the costs of therapy, in absolute values, vary from one country to the other, it can be stated in rough approximation that a failed radiotherapy will make rise the costs by a factor of 3. Proceeding on the fact that in 30-40% of patients, who received radiotherapy, the initial treatment failed to control the primary disease, the enormous additional costs involved become obvious, not to speak of the main argument--the regrowth of the patient's tumor. For the improvement of this situation quality assurance (QA) is an essential prerequisite, which should be guaranteed in all successive steps of radiotherapy. In the paper an analysis is given for all individual steps in the chain of radiotherapeutic measures.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[A comparison of systemic radiotherapy, chemotherapy or local radiotherapy in the treatment of extensive small-cell bronchial carcinoma. Results of a randomized series]. / Vergleich zwischen systemischer Strahlentherapie, Chemotherapie oder lokaler Strahlentherapie bei der Behandlung des ausgedehnten kleinzelligen Bronchialkarzinoms. Ergebnisse einer randomisierten Serie.

Between 1982 and 1987 we carried out a prospective randomized study to compare the effectiveness of high-dose half-body irradiation (HBI) (A), intensive combined chemotherapy (B), and local or locoregional radiotherapy (C) in the therapy of extended small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC). 99 patients with a histologically proved SCLC were assigned to the three therapeutic groups of series: A = 31 patients, B = 37 patients, C = 31 patients. The median survival period showed a statistically significant advantage (p less than 0.01) for the chemotherapy group (B = 46 weeks) versus the two radiotherapy groups (A = 19 weeks, C = 23 weeks). The survival after half a year, one year, and two years also gave a clear advantage for the chemotherapy group. No difference was found between the radiotherapy groups A and C. The high-dose HBI gave no improvement of the sad therapeutic situation for the extended SCLC.

[Experiences with intensive radiotherapy of prostatic cancer in conjunction with surgery (transurethral resection, pelvic lymph node excision)]. / Erfahrungen bei der intensiven Strahlentherapie des Prostatakarzinoms im Zusammenhang mit operativen Eingriffen (TUR, PLA).

Since 1981 a curative radiation treatment was performed in 84 patients with prostatic carcinoma. Previously, in 37 cases a transurethral resection of bladder outlet obstruction was done and in 18 patients a pelvic lymph node dissection was performed, whereas 29 patients were without operative therapy. Mild side effects of radiation could observed in all 3 groups in nearly the same portion (59/56/65%). However, in the group with transurethral resection after follow-up of 4,4 years severe late complications were found (cystitis, incontinence, urethral fistula). Therefore, radiation treatment of prostatic carcinoma after transurethral resection was abandoned. The cumulative 5-year-survival rate was 63% and in the TUR group only 41%. 9 out of 10 patients with histological verified lymph node metastases and radiation treatment are alive after mean follow-up time of 3.1 years without evidence of recurrent disease.

[Results of intensive radiotherapy of bladder cancer following transurethral tumor resection]. / Ergebnisse der intensiven Strahlentherapie des Harnblasenkarzinomas nach transurethraler Tumorresektion.

During the period from 1977 to 1984 173 patients with a bladder carcinoma were exposed a combined operative-radiological therapy. It includes the transurethral tumor resection and the percutaneous high voltage irradiation after an interval of six weeks. After individual irradiation planning--since 1981 by means of CT--pendulum technique has been applied exclusively for careful treatment of risk organs. The total target dose (= 80% isodose) was 56 Gy with daily application of 1.8 Gy. We attained a 5-years-healing of 27%, obviously the first two years therapy beginning were deciding for fate (2-years-survival 45%). Among infiltration grade and histological type also the primary tumor localization had prognostic relevance. In locally advanced bladder carcinoma with invasion into the environment the radiotherapy gives chance for permanent healing. Acute passing side-reactions during intensive therapy, mainly as cystitis, we recorded in 2/3 of the patients. Only with the combined occurrence of cystitis and proctitis we had to record chronic effects in 2.5% of the cases for a period of more than 5 years.

[Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. Results of radiosurgical therapy by photon and electron rays or fast neutrons]. / Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. Ergebnisse der radiochirurgischen Therapie mit Photonen- und Elektronenstrahlung bzw. schnellen Neutronen.

The dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, a rare entity of soft tissue sarcomas, is specified as a tumor of intermediate malignancy because of its marked tendency to form local recurrences. Regarding the prevention of local recurrences, the results of combined radiosurgical therapy (n = 13) could be improved in our patients by the application of fast neutrons (n = 6). Despite multiple previous operations for recurrences, a reliable prevention of local recurrences (average follow-up period 5.5 years) was achieved in all patients by neutron irradiation with focal doses of approximately 9 Gy. One patient with multiple macroscopic recurrences received two neutron series with 17 Gy. At seven years, she is still recurrence-free. We consider the postoperative irradiation of the dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans with fast neutrons following to primary tumor excision as method of choice for a reliable prophylaxis of local recurrences, because this method allows to dispense with major radical surgery.

[Results of irradiation using different radiation sources in the treatment of malignant parotid tumors]. / Ergebnisse der Bestrahlung mit verschiedenen Strahlenquellen bei der Therapie maligner Parotistumoren.

Patients with malignant parotid tumors were treated at two different centres with slightly ionizing radiation (110 patients) and neutron therapy (15 patients). The treatment results are compared. The principles of comparison applied in this analysis are identical. The histologic classification was made according to the W.H.O. recommendation of 1972 and the staging according to Becske. Local tumor control is the criterion applied in the comparative assessment of both methods. The analysis has shown that there is no significant difference in the treatment results within the individual stages of tumor's advancement after application of an orthovolt therapy and a telecobalt therapy. Patients treated in early stages (stages I and III) had a substantially higher rate of local tumor control (72%) than patients in advanced stages (46%, stages III and IV). A more favorable treatment results was achieved by neutron therapy in all stages of tumor's advancement. In this case the rate of patients with local tumor control (87%) was significantly higher than after radiotherapy with slightly ionizing radiation (46%).

[Results of high-voltage and neutron therapy in the treatment of the postoperative anastomotic recurrence of stomach cancer]. / Ergebnisse der Hochvolt- und Neutronentherapie in der Behandlung des Anastomosenrezidivs beim operierten Magenkarzinom.

Local recurrence in anastomotic region after resection of stomach cancer is not a rare event. The role of radiotherapy in palliative treatment is commonly underestimated. Our experiences were demonstrated in 2 treatment groups (megavoltage therapy alone, 23 cases; in combination with neutrons, 13 patients). Decrease in dysphagia in 75% of patients was comparable with roentgenologic findings, where reduced tumor in 63% was established. These encourageable findings were confirmed in examination of anastomotic region in autopsy (megavoltage therapy 14 cases, combined neutron therapy 12 cases). Smaller tumors could be totally destroyed by megavoltage therapy. The local tumor destroying rate increased by combination with neutrons (6/12 cases). No advantage in life prolongation could be stated, because local recurrence was quickly followed by widespread disease (77%). Finally we demonstrate a treatment plan, which bases on our clinical experience. With 3-4 fractions of 5-7 Gy a real clinical and radiological demonstrable palliation effect is to be reached.