PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Chen, Zhongjie
AU  - Li, Ruiying
AU  - Wang, Ping
TI  - Analysis of 80 Cases of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Treated by Intracavitary Brachytherapy Using A New-Type Applicator
AID  - 10.1007/s11805-007-0052-5
DP  - 2007 Feb 01
TA  - Chinese Journal of Clinical Oncology
PG  - 52--55
VI  - 4
IP  - 1
4099  - http://www.cancerbiomed.org/content/4/1/52.short
4100  - http://www.cancerbiomed.org/content/4/1/52.full
SO  - Cancer Biol Med2007 Feb 01; 4
AB  - OBJECTIVE To evaluate the results and complications associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with combined external-beam radiotherapy (EBR) and intracavitary brachytherapy (IB) using a new-type applicator.METHODS Eighty patients with untreated NPC were divided into two groups based on therapy methods. An experimental group was treated with EBR plus IB and a control group was treated only with EBR. IB was given to the patients of the experimental group when the external radiotherapy dose amounted to more than 60~65 Gy. The total dose of IB was 6~20 Gy and the total dose of EBR of the control group was 70~75 Gy.RESULTS Follow-up was conducted for 97.5% of the patients with results as follows: the overall response rates (ORR) for the experimental and the control groups were 92.5% and 75.3% respectively (P<0.05); the 3 and 5-year survival rates for the experimental group were 87.5% and 74.2% and for the control group, 65.0% and 55.6% (P<0.05); for the experimental group, the 3 and 5-year disease-free survival rates were 72.5% and 64.5% and for the control group, 60.0% and 52.8% (P>0.05). Some complications following radiotherapy showed a significant difference.CONCLUSION External irradiation plus intracavitary brachytherapy using a new-type applicator may improve the ORR and survival rates, reduce radiation complications and increase the quality of life.