Disease relevance of Brachytherapy

• CONCLUSIONS: Despite the optimization of pre-, peri-, and post-procedural factors and despite the relative efficacy of the brachytherapy for the prevention of the intra-stent neo-intimal hyperplasia, the clinical outcome of the irradiated group was less favorable than that of the control group [1].
• Patients with unresectable, stage I and II perihilar cholangiocarcinoma were treated with neoadjuvant external beam irradiation, brachytherapy, and 5-fluorouracil and/or oral capecitabine prior to liver transplantation [2].
• CONCLUSIONS: VEGF and Bcl-2 status in pretreatment rectal tumor biopsies may be predictive of response to preoperative high-dose rate brachytherapy [3].
• Permanent source brachytherapy for prostate cancer. American College of Radiology. ACR Appropriateness Criteria [4].
• A histologic study (including DNA quantification and Ki-67 labeling index) in uveal melanomas after brachytherapy with ruthenium plaques [5].

Psychiatry related information on Brachytherapy

• The incidence of brachytherapy induced erectile dysfunction is significantly greater than initially reported but the majority of patients respond favorably to sildenafil [6].
• Although reduction in the serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) correlates with clinical outcome for high dose rate Iridium-192 (HDR Ir-192) brachytherapy, it takes a long latency period [7].

High impact information on Brachytherapy

• The treatment protocol involved surgery, partial brain external-beam radiotherapy (59.4 Gy in 33 fractions), and stereotactic brachytherapy with temporary high-activity iodine 125 sources giving an additional 50 Gy to the tumor bed [8].
• The results were compared with caesium-137 brachytherapy; both isotopes were given in combination with high-dose fractionated pelvic radiotherapy [9].
• Specifically, key issues include dose escalation; the relative benefit of alternative forms of RT (ie, brachytherapy and protons); target localization; the use, timing, and duration of androgen deprivation; and the need for pelvic nodal irradiation [10].
• PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients who had been evaluated previously at a median of 2.6 years after radical prostatectomy (RP), external radiation (three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy [3-D CRT]), or brachytherapy (BT) were recontacted at a median of 6.2 years after treatment [11].
• Patients were treated with external irradiation and intracavitary brachytherapy, and most received concurrent weekly cisplatin [12].

Chemical compound and disease context of Brachytherapy

• Sexual function was evaluated in 34 patients with low-risk prostate cancer (PSA < or = 10, Gleason score < or = 6, clinical stage T1/T2) undergoing brachytherapy in a phase III prospective randomized trial comparing iodine-125 ((125)I) to palladium-103 ((103)Pd) [13].
• METHODS AND MATERIALS: Between September 1988 and June 1991, 23 patients were treated with interstitial Iridium-192 high dose-rate brachytherapy immediately followed by interstitial hot water hyperthermia [14].
• PURPOSE: We have reviewed the results of 165 T1 and T2 squamous cell carcinomas of the faucial arch treated by definitive irradiation including or not Iridium 192 brachytherapy to ascertain whether a significant relationship existed between Iridium implantation, local control, complications, and survival [15].
• A new model using number of needles and androgen deprivation to predict chronic urinary toxicity for high or low dose rate prostate brachytherapy [16].
• CONCLUSION: Review of early data suggests that intraoperative 125I vicryl mesh brachytherapy in high-risk Stage I NSCLC is potentially effective and well tolerated, with no significant decline in measurable pulmonary function studies and no increase in postoperative complications [17].

Biological context of Brachytherapy

• PATIENTS AND METHODS: In a retrospective way we report on 163 patients' PSA kinetics after EBT alone to 68 Gy or EBT first and a brachytherapy boost up to 75 or 85 Gy [18].
• Differential effects of CLDR and PDR brachytherapy on cell cycle progression in a syngeneic rat prostate tumour model [19].
• Considering the additional HDR brachytherapy rectum protection takes the highest priority in definitive treatment-the requirements are best met in supine position [20].
• In contrast to sham-treated controls, the aneuploid cell fraction with G2/M DNA content was significantly increased (p < 0.05) after initiation of both, CLDR and PDR brachytherapy [19].
• BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to assess the value of apoptosis protease-activating factor 1 (APAF-1) as a predictive marker of response in rectal tumors treated with preoperative, high-dose-rate endorectal brachytherapy [21].

Anatomical context of Brachytherapy

• The Hensche's applicators for brachytherapy were inserted into the cervix and vagina 5 min after lidocaine application [22].
• Malignant melanoma of the eyelid and palpebral conjunctiva treated with iodine-125 brachytherapy [23].
• CONCLUSION: A yttrium-90 beta brachytherapy source was designed which provides high flexibility within proximal coronary arteries, ensures an adequate centering inside the artery, and provides irradiation conditions to the vessel wall of the experimental animal comparable to the application inside a human artery [24].
• Intraluminal brachytherapy with a transcatheter Iridium-192 (Ir-192) wire, as a method to deliver a boost to patients with tumors of the extrahepatic bile ducts, has been well described [25].
• From September 1989 until March 1992 nine patients with unresectable, though localized carcinoma of the pancreas were treated by a multimodality therapy consisting of palliative surgery, interstitial conformal brachytherapy in high-dose rate mode (HDRBT) with iridium-192 up to 30 Gy and external-beam radiation therapy (EBRT) of about 52 Gy [26].

Associations of Brachytherapy with chemical compounds

• Examining the role of neoadjuvant androgen deprivation in patients undergoing prostate brachytherapy [27].
• Pelvic radiation consisted of external-beam therapy to a dose of 39.6 Gy, followed by brachytherapy with cesium 137 tandem and ovoid insertions to deliver 80 Gy to point A and 55 Gy to point B [28].
• METHODS: A retrospective analysis of these patients who were treated either with endoscopic biliary stenting followed by external beam radiotherapy and internal iridium-192 brachytherapy (n = 28) or with stenting alone (control group; n = 28) [29].
• The ACh-induced changes in artery diameter before and after brachytherapy were -1.5 +/- 0.5 mm and -0.5 +/- 0.3 mm (p < 0.0001) for the first vessels and -1.4 +/- 0.3 mm and -0.4 +/- 0.2 mm (p < 0.01) for the second vessels, respectively [30].
• Immediately following a conventional brachytherapy dose and removal of the iridium seeds the tumors were heated again in a second treatment [31].

Gene context of Brachytherapy

• The results of one such experimental measurement and analysis are here reported for a new design of 103palladium source, model MED3633 (North American Scientific, Inc.). By AAMP Task Group #43 recommendations, the reference material for brachytherapy dosimetry is liquid water [32].
• Radiation dose measurements with alanine/agarose gel and thin alanine films around a 192Ir brachytherapy source, using ESR spectroscopy [33].
• We conclude that p53 expression and function are normal or increased in r-VSMCs and may underlie the success of brachytherapy [34].
• Each brachytherapy patient was matched with one external-beam RT (ERT) patient derived from a reference group of 1,388 patients treated with standard BCT [35].
• Inverse treatment planning based on MRI for HDR prostate brachytherapy [36].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of Brachytherapy

• RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were noted in the 5-year actuarial rates of ipsilateral breast treatment failure or locoregional failure between ERT and brachytherapy patients (1% v 0%, P =.31 and 2% v 1%, P =.63, respectively) [35].
• All interventions included balloon angioplasty that was completed with stent placement in eight cases and with endovascular brachytherapy with an iridium 192 source in five cases [37].
• In an animal model of restenosis the feasibility and the dose dependent effect of intravascular brachytherapy with a Rhenium-188 filled balloon catheter was investigated [38].
• METHODS: Subjects were 10 patients who had bulky (>2 cm) residual disease in the cervix after external radiotherapy (45 Gy) combined with concomitant chemotherapy (cisplatin 40 mg/m2/week) and uterovaginal brachytherapy (15 Gy) [39].
• Of the 63 men treated 48 (76%) underwent radical therapy (brachytherapy in 17, external beam radiotherapy in 29 and prostatectomy in 2), while only 24% received androgen deprivation [40].

References