Tumor Shrinks After Two-Week Interval in Radiation Therapy

August 27, 2009 - Staged stereotactic radiotherapy with a 2-week interfraction interval for unresectable brain metastases, may be a possible alternative for treating large brain metastases, according to the study published in International Journal of Radiation Oncology.

The study, Three-Staged Stereotactic Radiotherapy Without Whole Brain Irradiation for Large Metastatic Brain Tumors, aimed to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of staged stereotactic radiotherapy with a 2-week interfraction interval for unresectable brain metastases more than 10 cm3 in volume.

Subjects included 43 patients (24 men and 19 women), ranging in age from 41 to 84 years, who had large brain metastases (> 10 cc in volume). Primary tumors were in the colon in 14 patients, lung in 12, breast in 11, and other in 6. The peripheral dose was 10 Gy in three fractions. The interval between fractions was 2 weeks.

For tumors >10 cc at baseline, staged radiation therapy with a 2-week interval between 10-Gy doses reduced tumor volume by nearly 40 percent. The researchers concluded that the 2-week interval allowed significant reduction of the treatment volume.

Reference:
Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2009 Aug 1;74(5):1543-1548, Y Higuchi, T Serizawa, O Nagano, S Matsuda, J Ono, M Sato, Y Iwadate, N Saeki

For more information: www.redjournal.org