Clinical impact of MRI assisted dose volume adaptation and dose escalation in brachytherapy of locally advanced cervix cancer.

Background: To investigate the clinical impact of MRI based cervix cancer brachytherapy combined with external beam radiochemotherapy applying dose volume adaptation and dose escalation in a consecutive group of patients with locally advanced cervix cancer.

Methods: In the period 1998-2003, 145 patients with cervix cancer stages IB-IVA were treated with definitive radiotherapy +/- cisplatin chemotherapy. Median age was 60 years.

Ultrasound-guided interstitial brachytherapy in the treatment of advanced vaginal recurrences from cervical and endometrial carcinoma.

Background: In advanced vaginal recurrences of cervical and endometrial carcinomas therapeutic options are rare because of preceding therapy.

Patients And Methods: 23 patients developing advanced vaginal recurrences of cervical and endometrial carcinomas were included. 15 patients started with external-beam therapy to the pelvis and eight patients after preceding radiotherapy underwent brachytherapy alone.

Pilot study in the treatment of endometrial carcinoma with 3D image-based high-dose-rate brachytherapy using modified Heyman packing: clinical experience and dose-volume histogram analysis.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate dose distribution within uterus (clinical target volume [CTV]) and tumor (gross tumor volume [GTV]) and the resulting clinical outcome based on systematic three-dimensional treatment planning with dose-volume adaptation. Dose-volume assessment and adaptation in organs at risk and its impact on side effects were investigated in parallel.

Methods And Materials: Sixteen patients with either locally confined endometrial carcinoma (n = 15) or adenocarcinoma of uterus and ovaries after bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (n = 1) were included.

Oxygenation status of cervical carcinomas before and during spinal anesthesia for application of brachytherapy.

Background And Purpose: To date, no information is available concerning the impact of spinal anesthesia on the oxygenation status of carcinomas of the uterine cervix. The aim of this study was therefore to determine the influence of spinal anesthesia on the oxygenation status of cervical carcinomas.

Patients And Methods: In ten patients with cervical carcinoma who received spinal anesthesia for a first application of brachytherapy, intratumoral pO2 measurements (pO2 histography system, Eppendorf-Netheler-Hinz, Hamburg, Germany) were performed.

Surgery and adjuvant radiation therapy of endometrial stromal sarcoma.

Objective: In the treatment of endometrial stromal sarcoma, it is still not clear whether adjuvant radiation therapy improves the outcome. We wish to summarize the experiences we gathered from treating 15 patients over a period of 18 years, and to compare these to results from literature.

Patients And Methods: According to the 1989 FIGO classification for endometrial carcinoma, 11 (73%) of the 15 patients analyzed presented stage I, 1 presented stage II, and 3 presented stage III sarcoma.