Total-body irradiation and cataract incidence: a randomized comparison of two instantaneous dose rates.

Purpose: To assess the influence of instantaneous total-body irradiation dose rate in hematological malignancies, we randomized 157 patients according to different instantaneous dose rates.

Methods And Materials: Between December 10, 1986 and December 31, 1989 157 patients have undergone a total-body irradiation before bone-marrow transplantation according to two different techniques: either in one fraction (1000 cGy given to the midplane at the level of L4, and 800 cGy to the lungs) or in six fractions (1200 cGy over 3 consecutive days to the midplane at the level of L4, and 900 cGy to the lungs). Patients were randomized according to two instantaneous dose rates, called LOW and HIGH, in single-dose (6 vs.

Total-body irradiation before bone marrow transplantation. Results of two randomized instantaneous dose rates in 157 patients.

One hundred fifty-seven patients referred to the Department of Radiation Oncology of the Hôpital Tenon, Paris, France, between December 10, 1986 and December 31, 1989 for total-body irradiation (TBI) were treated according to the following two techniques: (1) either in one fraction (1000 cGy administered to the midplane at L4 and 800 cGy to the lungs) or (2) in six fractions (1200 cGy on 3 consecutive days to the midplane at L4 and 900 cGy to the lungs). The patients were randomized according to two instantaneous dose rates, called LOW and HIGH, in single-dose (6 versus 15 cGy/min) and hexafractionated (3 versus 6 cGy/min) TBI groups. There were 77 patients in the LOW group and 80 in the HIGH group, with 57 patients receiving single-dose TBI (28 LOW and 29 HIGH) and 100 patients receiving fractionated-dose TBI (49 LOW and 51 HIGH).

Primary lymphoma of the central nervous system. An unresolved therapeutic problem.

From January 1979 to December 1987, 35 cases of primary central nervous system lymphoma (CNS-L) were treated. We recently reviewed these cases focusing on treatment results, treatment modalities, and radiotherapy (RT) or chemotherapy-radiotherapy (CT-RT). Variables such as age, risk factors, presenting symptoms, and histologic condition (all were high-grade or intermediate-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas [NHL]) and radiologic data were similar to those of series reported previously.

Epidermoid carcinoma of the anal canal treatment results and prognostic variables in a series of 242 cases.

Unlabelled: From 1972 to 1985, 260 cases of anal canal epidermoid carcinoma were irradiated. Eighteen cases treated for palliation were excluded from the study; 242 (93%) were treated with curative intent. The sex ratio was 1/5.