Dosimetry study on radioactive particle brachytherapy in oral carcinoma

To investigate the therapeutic effects of different doses of ¹²⁵I radioactive particle brachytherapy on oral cancer.

Between September 2012 and September 2015, 78 patients with oral cancer who received ¹²⁵I radioactive particle brachytherapy for the first time in our hospital were enrolled in this study. Patients were divided into high dose (≥3) and low dose (<3) groups. The treatment outcome, serum tumor marker levels and the expression levels of autophagy and apoptotic genes in tumor cells were compared between groups.

Complete remission (CR)+partial remission (PR) ratio in the high dose group was significantly higher than that of the low dose group. Stable disease (SD)+ progressive disease (PD) ratio was significantly lower in the high dose group. The serum levels of TSGF, SCCA, CEA, CA125, CA15.3, CA19.9 and PSA oral cancer markers were significantly lower than those of the low dose group. In the high dose group, the expression levels of Beclin-1 and MAP1LC3 (autophagic genes) mRNAs were significantly higher than those of the low dose group, while the expression levels of EMMPRIN and MMP-14 (invasive genes) mRNAs were significantly lower in the high dose group. Also survival rates in the responsive patients were significantly better in comparison to non-responsive patients.

High dose particle brachytherapy with radioactive ¹²⁵I is a safe and effective treatment and its clinical results were more beneficial than the low dose therapy.