[Radiotherapy of chordoma--a report of 10 patients]

A consecutive series of 10 patients with chordoma was treated in our hospital from 1956 to 1982. Six were male and four were female. The age ranged 19 approximately 52 years. Eight lesions occurred in the base of sphenoid and two in the sacrum. All were treated by postoperative radiotherapy with a medium dose of 4,500 approximately 6,000 rad. Recurrent patients were given a hyperfractionated radiotherapy (100 rad, 4/D, at intervals of 3 hours, total dose 2000 rad). The 5 and 10 year survival rates were 75% and 50%. No complications were found after radiation. In this paper, literature on chordoma and radiotherapy for chordoma are reviewed. An optimal schedule is proposed: operation be the choice of treatment, which be as thorough as possible; two months after the operation, radiotherapy be given at a suitable dose of 5000 approximately 6000 rad; the recurrent lesions be treated by hyperfractionated radiotherapy.