Analysis of treatment modalities and their failures in stage IB cancer of the cervix.

This is a retrospective analysis of 240 patients who had clinical Stage IB cancer of the cervix treated with radiation between 1969 and 1980. Of these, 186 patients were treated with a combination of external and intracavitary radiation therapy, and 54 patients received adjuvant postoperative radiation therapy. The minimum follow-up was 5 years.

Skeletal metastases from cancer of the uterine cervix: frequency, patterns, and radiotherapeutic significance.

The records of eight hundred two patients who received primary radiotherapy for invasive cervical cancer between 1969 and 1985 were reviewed. The incidence of bone metastasis was 1.9% (15/802).

Use of ultrasound scan in prostatic I-125 implantation.

The average dimension of prostate was measured by transabdominal ultrasonography preoperatively to compare with direct intraoperative measurements in 28 patients undergoing suprapubic I-125 seed implantation for the treatment of prostatic cancer. A highly significant correlation (r = 0.932) was found between these two measurements.

High-energy irradiation in the management of chondrosarcoma.

We present a retrospective analysis of seven patients with chondrosarcoma of the bone treated by high-energy irradiation between 1961 and 1976. Its major role in this series was prevention of local recurrence in cases with inadequate resection. In three of the five cases in which radiation therapy was adjuvant rather than primary treatment, long-term local control was obtained in a dose of 5,000 to 6,500 rads in five to six weeks.

Uterine perforation during intracavitary application. Prognostic significance in carcinoma of the cervix.

All cases of uterine perforation occurring during intracavitary application for carcinoma of the cervix over a 13-year period (1968-1981) were reviewed. There were 14 perforations out of 799 applications in 622 patients, for an incidence of 2.25% of patients and 1.

An evaluation of the effectiveness of audio cassettes for CME.

Medical teachers and practising doctors were surveyed by questionnaire and given pre- and post-tests to determine the efficiency and effectiveness of Practical Reviews in Cancer Management, a cassette tape programme of continuing medical education (CME). Doctors indicated a high degree of satisfaction with this approach; in particular the idea of keeping abreast of the current literature while commuting in their cars was appealing. The programme's effectiveness was measured by pre- and post-tests, and the data were analysed by the non-directional t-test for dependent groups.

Use of ultrasonography in planning intracavitary radiotherapy of endometrial carcinoma.

A diagnostic ultrasound examination is a simple and reliable method of obtaining anatomical information for intracavitary irradiation of endometrial carcinoma of the uterus. Scanning before treatment to determine uterine size and shape assists in choosing the most appropriate applicator. Scanning after insertion of an afterloading applicator facilitates calculation of radiation doses at critical points within and on the surface of the uterus.

The accuracy of retroperitoneal ultrasonography in Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Three hundred and thirty-six B-mode ultrasound examinations of the retroperitoneal region were performed on 179 patients with Hodgkin's disease or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; histological confirmation was available in 56 patients. Ultrasonography was correct in predicting retroperitoneal periaortic lymph node involvement in 87.5% of cases.

Tumor localization and treatment planning with ultrasound.

The successful management of cancer with high energy radiation requires precise knowledge of the tumor position relative to the body surface and normal organs. Diagnostic ultrasound assists in determining the size and location of tumors and vital normal structures in patients undergoing radiation therapy. Radiation fields can be established dynamically under direct ultrasound imaging, and anatomical information about the tumor, normal organs, and body contour utilized in dosimetry calculations.

Radiation therapy planning with ultrasound.

Diagnostic ultrasound is a relatively new diagnostic modality which is a practical method of acquiring anatomical information important in radiation treatment planning. Patient contour, port margins, location of tumors and normal structures, and tissue inhomogeneities can be recorded simply, safely, rapidly, and accurately. This information can then be utilized in developing radiation therapy plans that deliver irradiation more precisely to the malignant disease while avoiding normal structures.