The Effects of High Dose Rate Brachytherapy in Recurrent Obstructive Bronchogenic Cancer after External Irradiation Therapy

Abstract

Background: Patients with centrally recurred bronchogenic carcinoma make a complaint of many symptoms like hemoptysis, cough & dyspnea. At these conditions, the goal of treatment is only to relieve their symptoms. High dose rate brachytherapy(HDR-BT) is the palliative treatment modality of centrally located endobronchial tumor regardless of previous external irradiation(XRT) on the same site in symptomatic patients. Methods: We studied the effects of HDR-BT in 26 patients with symptomatic recurrent lung cancer. Patients(male: 24, mean age: 54yrs)were treated with HDR-BT underwent bronchoscopic placement of HDR after loading unit(Gammamed, Germany) to deliver 500cGY intraluminal irradiation at a depth of 1cm every lwk on 3 occasions. Evaluation at base line and 4wks after HDR brachytherapy included chest X-ray, bronchscopy, symptoms (Standadized Scale for dyspnea,cough,hemoptysis), and Karnofsky performance scale. Results: Endobronchial obstruction was improved in 11/26 patients(37%). Atelectasis in chest X-ray was improved in 5/15 patients(33%). Hemoptysis, dyspnea & cough were improved in 5/10 patients (50%), 5/8 patients (62%) & 10/18 patients (56%) respectively. Karnofsky performance status was changed from 76.4 scores in pretreatment to 77.6 scores after treatment. During HDR-BT, massive hemoptysis (2 patients) and pneumothorax(1 patient) were occurred as complications. Conclusion: We concluded that HDR-BT gave additional benefits for the control of symptoms and general performance and endobronchial obstruction & atelectasis. And HDR-BT will be an additional treatment for the recurrent and endobronchial obstructive lung cancer.