Dynamic pion irradiation of unresectable soft tissue sarcomas

Since November 1981, when pion irradiation was introduced for deep seated tumors at the Swiss Institute for Nuclear Research (SIN, now Paul Scherrer Institute, PSI) a dynamic, 3-dimensional spot scan treatment technique has been in use. To exploit this technique a special optimization treatment planning system has been designed. Of a total of 331 patients treated with pions from November 1981-December 1987, 35 were irradiated for unresectable soft tissue sarcomas. In 32/35 patients, tumor sites were retroperitoneal, pelvic or in the groin or thigh. Twenty-nine tumors had a maximum diameter of greater than 10 cm, 18 tumors of greater than 15 cm; 30 tumors had grade 2/3 and 32 Stage III B/IV A/IV B. Eight of 35 patients received a low pion total dose, 7-27 Gy. Twenty-seven patients received a total dose of 30-36 Gy, fraction size 150-170 cGy (90%-isodose), 20 fractions, 4 times per week. Of these 27 patients, severe late reactions appeared in five: 2/8 patients with extremity/groin sarcomas (1/2 caused by biopsy) and 3/19 patients with retroperitoneal/pelvic sarcomas (one a skin reaction after Actinomycin-D, one a small bowel reaction after 36 Gy, a dose no longer used). Seven of 27 patients had metastases at the beginning of irradiation. Three of 27 were treated with excisional biopsy, 9 with incisional biopsy or partial resection and in 15 patients biopsies were performed for histology only. The median follow-up of these 27 patients was 17 months (5-66). There was no progression in eight extremity/groin tumors but in 4 of 19 retroperitoneal/pelvic tumors. Three of these were marginal progressions. The actuarial 5-year rate of local tumor control is 64%; the actuarial 5-year survival rate of patients without metastases at the beginning of treatment is 58%. Dynamic spot scan pion irradiation proves to be a successful treatment technique for unresectable sarcomas with a high rate of tumor control and a very low rate of severe late reactions.