Fifty‐four patients from August 1975 to March 1980 were treated with high dose per fraction (0‐7‐21) radiotherapy for malignant. The patients were subdivided into three clinical subtypes of disease: microscopic residual melanoma following surgery (22 patients), gross residual melanoma following surgery (nine patients), and recurrent melanoma (23 patients). Eighteen of 22 (82%) of patients treated for microscopic residual disease have been free of local recurrence to date. Ten of the 18 are alive and free of disease for up to 44 months following irradiation. Seven of nine (78%) patients treated for gross residual tumor have had no recurrence or progression of tumor in the irradiated volume, five of the nine achieved a complete remission and three are alive and free of disease at ten, 13, and 42 months, respectively. Twenty‐three patients with recurrent melanoma were irradiated. Nine achieved a complete remission (39%) of tumor in the irradiated volume and three are alive and free of disease at up to 56 months following irradiation treatment. Three major complications of irradiation have been seen in the 54 patients treated. It is concluded that nodular melanoma is not a radioresistant tumor, large dose per fraction radiotherapy produces a high response rate of patients with measurable diseased which is prolonged in some patients. The indications for radiotherapy in nodular melanoma are discussed and prospective studies of irradiation in melanoma are proposed.
Treatment of cervical cancer often involves intracavitary high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy. Dose delivered to the bladder and rectum are typically estimated using the ICRU reference points. Dose to the sigmoid and small bowel are not estimated, yet these organs typically exhibit significant complication rates. The objective of this study was to estimate dose to the small bowel and sigmoid using CT images. Bladder and rectum dose estimates obtained from the reference point method were also compared to those obtained from CT images. Eighteen CT scans taken before or after treatment of women treated with HDR using ring and tandem applicators were included in this study. The small bowel, sigmoid, bladder and rectum were contoured and the ICRU points were digitized. The minimum dose to 2cc (D ) of each organ was calculated and normalized to % prescribed to Point A. Average D bowel dose was 70%. D bowel dose was significantly higher than both D rectal (27%) and D sigmoid (31%) doses. The average D bladder and rectal doses were 68% (p=NS) and 27% (p<0.001) of prescribed Point A dose. D bowel dose, although significantly higher than rectum and sigmoid, is within an acceptable limit. D bladder and rectum values are either not significantly different from or are significantly lower than ICRU reference values. The results of this study suggest that CT imaging is not necessary for determination of dose to organs at risk. However, image guidance is of value for identifying perforations prior to commencing treatment.
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