Radiotherapy in the treatment of epididymal adenocarcinoma - case report.

BACKGROUND: Primary epididymal carcinoma is an extremely rare disease with a bad prognosis. We describe the first report of radiotherapy for definitive treatment of such a tumour. CASE REPORT: A 35-year-old man with a tumour of the epididymis underwent orchiectomy and elective retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy. Adenocarcinoma of the epididymis and lymph node metastasis were confirmed. The patient refused the suggested adjuvant chemotherapy and returned to our centre with a local recurrence after 6 months. We indicated palliative radiotherapy to the scrotal and groin region. Complete remission was achieved and continues 3.5 years after treatment. Late effects included teleangiectasia, fibrosis and thickening of subcutaneous tissue, and depigmentation in the groin, but the patient enjoys very good quality of life including penile erection. CONCLUSION: We presented very good results of radiotherapy in the treatment of this rare malignant disease. We achieved complete remission with a good quality of life and with tolerable chronic toxicity.

Long term results of HDR brachytherapy in men older than 75 with localized carcinoma of the prostate.

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer is an illness with a high incidence, especially among older men. The choice of a treatment option among men above 75 years is, however, not clear. Radical prostatectomy in this age group is connected with a relatively high morbidity. A further possibility of curative treatment is radiotherapy which can be administered in the form of external beam or in combination with high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy. AIM: The aim of our work was to evaluate how HDR brachytherapy is tolerated among men older than 75 and how associated diseases can influence the tolerance to this treatment. Of interest to us were the treatment results and mortality from other diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed a sample of 20 men above 75 years old (median 77 years) who were undergoing treatment by a combination of external radiotherapy and brachytherapy. Sixteen (80%) of them had prostate cancer with an intermediate and high risk of recurrence, four had low risk prostate cancer. Most patients, 14 (70%), had less than two comorbidities. RESULTS: The median observation period was 57 months. No perioperative complications were recorded. Acute genitourinary toxicity (GU) to a maximum grade of 1-2 manifested in 60% of cases. Acute gastrointestinal toxicity (GIT) was observed only at grade 1 and in 25% of cases. Late GU toxicity occurred in 35% of patients, with only one showing grade 3; late GIT toxicity was recorded at grade 1 only in 3 patients (15%). 70% of the men lived longer than 3 years after treatment, at present, 50% lived more than 5 years. Long-term biochemical remission was achieved in 18 patients (90%). CONCLUSIONS: HDR BRT is possible and well-tolerated in older men above 75 years in good condition and without serious intercurrence. Well-selected older patients with higher-risk tumours and without serious comorbidities undoubtedly benefit from radical treatment when compared with watchful waiting.

Three-dimensional conformal external beam radiotherapy versus the combination of external radiotherapy with high-dose rate brachytherapy in localized carcinoma of the prostate: comparison of acute toxicity.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: Radiotherapy represents one of the basic therapeutic methods in treatment of localized carcinoma of the prostate. Optimal irradiation dose is the cornerstone of a successful treatment. Along with local control of the disease and overall survival of the patient, possible acute and long-term side effects need to be monitored very closely. METHODS: A non-randomized prospective study comparing the acute genitourinary and gastrointestinal toxicity in patients irradiated for localized carcinoma of the prostate. Fifty-seven patients were treated with three-dimensional conformal external beam radiotherapy alone, and in the second treatment arm a combination of external beam radiotherapy and high-dose rate brachytherapy was employed in 40 patients. RESULTS: Three-dimensional conformal external beam radiotherapy. Acute G1 genitourinary toxicity was recorded in 35.1% of patients, G2 in 22.8%, and G2-3 in one patient (1.7%). Acute gastrointestinal toxicity was experienced by 54.4% of patients, G1 in 28.1%, G2 in 17.5%, and G3 in 8.8%. Three-dimensional conformal external beam radiotherapy + brachytherapy. Acute G1 genitourinary toxicity was recorded in 37.5% and grade 2 in 15% of the patients. Only G1 acute gastrointestinal toxicity was recorded in 40% of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: Acute G1 genitourinary toxicity was experienced by a similar percentage of patients in both treatment arms. Acute G2 genitourinary toxicity was more frequent in the three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy arm. Higher acute genitourinary toxicity, G3 or G4, was recorded only in one patient per treatment arm. Acute gastrointestinal toxicity was more frequent in the three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy arm. Higher acute gastrointestinal toxicity, G2 and G3, was only observed in the three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy arm. The acute toxicity observed was of a low grade. The combination of external beam radiotherapy with brachytherapy resulted in a lower incidence of gastrointestinal toxicity than external beam radiotherapy alone.