International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics
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Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. · Sep 1997
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical TrialRelationship between thermal dose and outcome in thermoradiotherapy treatments for superficial recurrences of breast cancer: data from a phase III trial.
The objective of this study was to determine whether the thermal dose delivered during hyperthermia treatments and other thermal factors correlate with outcome after combined radiation and hyperthermia of breast carcinoma recurrences. Data were from the combined hyperthermia and radiation treatment arms of four Phase III trials, which when pooled together, demonstrated a positive effect of hyperthermia. ⋯ An earlier report of this trial demonstrated a significant benefit when hyperthermia was added to radiation in the treatment of breast cancer recurrences. The analysis of thermal factors demonstrates that parameters representative of the low end of the measured temperature distributions are associated with initial complete response rate, local disease-free survival, time to local failure and overall survival.
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Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. · Sep 1997
Comparative StudyA cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analysis of radiosurgery vs. resection for single-brain metastases.
The median survival of well-selected patients with single-brain metastases treated with whole-brain irradiation and resection or radiosurgery is comparable, although a randomized trial of these two modalities has not been performed. In this era of cost containment, it is imperative that health-care professionals make fiscally prudent decisions. The present environment necessitates a critical appraisal of apparently equi-efficacious therapeutic modalities, and it is within this context that we present a comparison of the actual costs of resection and radiosurgery for brain metastases. ⋯ For selected patients, aggressive strategies such as resection or radiosurgery are warranted, as they result in improved median survival and functional independence. Radiosurgery appears to be the more cost-effective procedure.
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Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. · Sep 1997
Cervical lymph node metastasis from an unknown primary: is a tonsillectomy necessary?
The detection of an infraclinical primary by tonsillectomy in case of cervical lymph node of an epidermoid carcinoma with unknown primary after a radical neck dissection, allows avoiding irradiation of the normal larynx. The aim of this study is to quantify the rate of tonsil primary to justify this procedure. ⋯ Tonsillectomy allows avoiding irradiation of normal larynx in 26% of patients who have a cervical lymph node with unknown primary. It should be performed in case of a single node of the subdigastric, midjugulocarotidian or submandibular area or bilateral subdigastric adenopathies.