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Updated: Jul 20, 2026
Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Gynecologic Cancer
Published on: April 17, 2012
Long-term results of intraoperative electron beam radiotherapy for primary and recurrent retroperitoneal soft tissue
H L Gieschen1, I J Spiro, H D Suit
1Regional Cancer Center, Cape Cod Hospital, Hyannis, MA, USA.
Purpose:
This study assesses the long-term outcome of patients with retroperitoneal sarcoma treated by preoperative external beam radiotherapy, resection, and intraoperative electron beam radiation (IOERT).
Methods And Materials:
From 1980 to 1996, 37 patients were treated with curative intent for primary or recurrent retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcoma. All patients underwent external beam radiotherapy with a median dose of 45 Gy. This was followed by laparotomy, resection, and IOERT, if feasible. Twenty patients received 10-20 Gy of IOERT with 9-15 MeV electrons. These patients were compared to a group of 17 patients receiving preoperative irradiation without IOERT.
Results:
The 5-yr actuarial overall survival (OS), disease-free survival, local control (LC), and freedom from distant disease of all 37 patients was 50%, 38%, 59%, and 54%, respectively. After preoperative irradiation, 29 patients (78%) underwent gross total resection. For 16 patients undergoing gross total resection and IOERT, OS and LC were 74% and 83%, respectively. In contrast, these results were less satisfactory for 13 patients undergoing gross total resection without IOERT. For these patients, OS and LC were 30% and 61%, respectively. Four patients experienced treatment-related morbidity.
Conclusions:
In selected patients, IOERT results in excellent local control and disease-free survival with acceptable morbidity.
