Ocular sequelae of multimodal therapy of hematologic malignancies in children.

We retrospectively analyzed the ocular findings after polychemotherapy including intrathecal methotrexate, systemic corticosteroids, and prophylactic cranial irradiation in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (n = 16) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (n = 2). After a median surveillance time of 4.1 years, asymptomatic ocular abnormalities were observed in 83% of the patients: 7/18 had a decreased tear formation, 5/17 had an opacity of the vitreous body, and 13/18 had an opacity of the lens.

Iridium-192 high dose rate brachytherapy combined with external beam irradiation in non-resectable oesophageal cancer.

Forty-eight patients with non-resectable cancer of the oesophagus and oesophagogastric junction (group A: Stage I/II: n = 32; group B: Stage III/IV: n = 16) underwent intralumenal iridium-192 high dose-rate afterloading brachytherapy (5-7 Gy/session, total dose 5-21 Gy, mean 12.4 Gy) and external beam irradiation (Karnofsky > or = 80%: 50-60 Gy/2 Gy per day; Karnofsky 60%-79%: 30 Gy/3 per day). Prolonged satisfactory palliation (intake of at least semi-solid food) was demonstrated in 96% of patients.

Hyperfractionated radiotherapy and polychemotherapy in brain stem tumors in children.

Between October 1989 and January 1991 five children with brain stem tumors were treated with sequential chemo- and radiotherapy. The polychemotherapy consisted of procarbazine, ifosfamide, etoposide, methotrexate, cisplatin and cytosine arabinoside. Locally, hyperfractionated radiotherapy was delivered at a total dose of 63.

[Metallic mesh endoprosthesis and intraluminal high dose rate 192Ir brachytherapy in the palliative treatment of malignant bile duct obstruction. Initial results].

Since December 1989, 9 patients with inoperable malignant biliary tract obstruction were treated palliatively by a combined modality treatment consisting of placement of a permanent biliary endoprosthesis followed by intraluminal high dose-rate 192Ir brachytherapy. A dose of 10 Gy was delivered in a hyperfractionated schedule at the point of reference in a distance of 7.5 mm of centre of the source.

Reduction of the dose to the lens in prophylactic cranial irradiation: a comparison of three different treatment techniques and two different beam qualities.

Three treatment techniques using two beam qualities have been compared on the basis of dose to the lens in prophylactic cranial irradiation. The dose to the lens and the globe was measured with thermoluminescent crystals in an anthropomorphic phantom and calculated by a computer-assisted planning system. A comparison was made of large field and small field techniques using 60Co and 8 MV photons.

Bladder and rectal dose of gynecologic high-dose-rate implants: comparison of orthogonal radiographic measurements with in vivo and CT-assisted measurements.

Bladder and rectal doses were retrospectively reviewed in 281 patients who underwent implantation of 575 gynecologic iridium-192 high-dose-rate devices. Dose measurements obtained with orthogonal radiography, in vivo thermoluminescent dosimetry, and computed tomography (CT)-assisted planning were compared. Measurements of bladder dose derived from radiographs revealed a significant difference between bladder neck dose and bladder base dose (P less than .

[Evaluation of irradiation techniques in breast carcinoma using dose-volume histograms. Comparison of the heart and lung exposure].

For irradiation of the internal mammary lymph nodes (IMN), together with irradiation of the breast the commonly used treatment techniques are of three types: 1. two tangential opposed fields, 2. three field plans with a separate "straight on" IMN-field, or 3.

[Interstitial Ir-192 afterloading therapy with sequential warm-water hyperthermia].

For selective heating of superficially located or easily accessible tumors interstitial hyperthermia has become an increasing popular method in combination with interstitial radioactive implants. At our institution the hyperthermia treatment is performed utilizing the warm water system KHS-9, which is adapted to our Ir-192 high-dose-rate afterloading device, so that the same hollow needles for the interstitial radiation can be used for the heating procedure. So far, this technique has been applied for the treatment of primary and carcinomas, gynecological recurrences, and metastases of malignant melanomas after preceding in vitro measurements of temperature distribution.

[Optimizing target volume assessment in irradiation of intraocular melanomas with ruthenium applicators].

Radioactive applicators have been used for conservative therapy of melanomas in the vicinity of the nervus opticus and of melanomas of the ciliary body for a few years. The aim of optimal radiotherapy is to destroy all tumor cells and to protect the optic nerve and macula. Therefore, we calculated the dose distributions and isodoses for ruthenium applicators.

[Treatment of primary cancer of the fallopian tube].

33 patients treated since 1970 at the Medical School of the University of Graz, were classified using the FIGO system for ovarian carcinoma, fourteen were in stage I, 8 stage II, 8 stage III and 3 stage IV. In 17 patients, surgery consisted of total abdominal or vaginal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy; 12 patients underwent additional pelvic +/- paraaortic lymph node extirpation and in 4 the tumour excision was incomplete. Treatment in 6 patients was surgery alone (2/stage I, 4 with advanced disease) (Group A).

[A therapeutic concept for the treatment of inoperable esophageal carcinoma].

From 1/87 to 12/88, 20 patients with anatomically or functionally inoperable carcinomas of the esophagus (cT1-3/N0-2/M0-1) were treated by endoluminal Ir-192 HDR brachytherapy (1-3 sessions, each 5-7 Gy) and percutaneous irradiation (50-70 Gy/2 Gy). In 10 cases a bouginage or combined dilatation and retrograde Nd-Yag-laser debulking was done before irradiation. The response of the treatment was documented by endoscopy (degree of stenoses) and symptoms (dysphagia score according to De Meester).