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Treatment of oral cancers using iridium-192 interstitial irradiation
T J Podd1, A T Carton, R Barrie
1Radiotherapy Department, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne.
Objective:
To assess retrospectively the outcome and morbidity of Iridium-192 brachytherapy in the treatment of oral cancers.
Design:
Retrospective audit of cases treated between 1981 and 1991.
Setting:
Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
Subjects:
73 patients with oral cancer treated with Iridium-192.
Main Outcome Measures:
Local control, crude and cause specific survival, and local morbidity.
Results:
Seventy four cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity were treated using interstitial Iridium-192. The disease specific 5-year survival rates were 69% for T1, 67% for T2, and 0% for T3 tumours. Mortality from recurrent cancer was 20%, and from intercurrent disease was 28%. The incidence of major radiation induced morbidity was 11%, and the local control rate was 81% for T1, 69% for T2, and 50% for T3 tumours.
Conclusion:
Interstitial radiotherapy remains a viable and valuable mode of treatment for a small proportion of patients presenting with early (T1 and T2) oral cancers.