Interstitial radiogold implantation for the treatment of recurrent high-grade gliomas

Abstract

Thirty-three patients were treated at the Methodist Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine (Houston) between 1983 and 1987, for high-grade gliomas which had recurred after conventional external-beam radiation therapy. The mean dose to the tumor volume from the external-beam therapy was 5800 cGy. Thirteen patients had recurrent astrocytoma Grade 4 (glioblastoma), whereas 20 had recurrent astrocytoma Grade 3 (anaplastic astrocytoma). All patients were treated for their recurrence by the combination of reexcision of as much of the tumor mass as was technically feasible and intraoperative radiogold (198Au) seed implantation of the residual tumor and/or tumor bed. The mean dose to the tumor volume from the implant was 4000 cGy. For the 13 patients treated for recurrent glioblastoma the 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year survival rates were 46%, 15%, and 8%, respectively. For the 20 patients treated for recurrent anaplastic astrocytoma the 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year survival rates were 75%, 50%, and 15%, respectively. Survival was measured from the time of implant. The median survival for patients with glioblastoma was 9 months. The median survival for patients with anaplastic astrocytoma was 17 months. One patient died in the immediate postoperative period from a gastrointestinal bleed. No patient required reoperation for radiation necrosis. The authors believe that this technique is an effective treatment for patients with high-grade gliomas recurring after external-beam radiation therapy, and are now including interstitial irradiation in the initial management of selected patients with high-grade gliomas.