125I interstitial brachytherapy for the treatment of myoepithelial carcinoma of the oral and maxillofacial region

Abstract

PurposeThis study evaluated the treatment of myoepithelial carcinoma (MC) of the oral and maxillofacial region with radioactive iodine (125I) seed implantation. Methods and MaterialsTwenty-seven patients with MC in the oral and maxillofacial region were treated with 125I seed implantation between March 2006 and October 2012. Thirteen of the 27 patients (8/8 patients with primary disease and 5/19 patients with recurrent disease) were treated on an adjuvant setting after resections, and the other 14 patients were treated by brachytherapy after a recurrence precluding a surgical resection for salvage. The sites of the MC were the parotid for 18 patients, oral cavity for 2 patients, and base of skull for 7 patients. Recurrence-free survival (RFS), overall survival (OS) rates, and side effects were retrospectively reviewed. ResultsPatients were followed for 6–105 months (median 37 months). The 3- and 5-year RFS rates were 51.9% and 46.1%, respectively. The 3- and 5-year OS rates were 68.6% and 51.5%, respectively. The OS and RFS were significantly better among the 8 patients treated upfront in comparison with the 19 patients treated for salvage at relapse. The OS was worst for the 7 patients with base of skull region disease. No severe complications were observed during followup. ConclusionsThis study showed 125I brachytherapy is a feasible and effective modality for the treatment of MC. These findings should be interpreted cautiously due to the small number of patients and the relatively short followup.