48 research outputs found
Interventional radiotherapy (brachytherapy) achieves very good longâterm quality of life in children and adolescents with softâtissue sarcoma
AbstractBackgroundEffective local therapy (surgery, radiation) and systemic multidrug chemotherapy are mandatory for curing childhood sarcoma. The standard radiation therapy for pediatric patients with softâtissue sarcoma (STS) is external beam radiotherapy (EBRT). Because EBRT may cause longâterm side effects with adverse effects on the patients' health and quality of life (QoL), alternative strategies are required. Interventional radiotherapy (IRT; brachytherapy) is established as a standard treatment for several tumors in adulthood. Singleâcenter series have reported low levels of late effects and improved QoL in survivors treated with IRT in childhood. However, IRT is still applied infrequently in pediatric patients.MethodsThirty patients with STS were treated with IRT between 1992 and 2012 at the University Hospital Schleswig Holstein, Germany. Five patients were lost to followâup, and 25 patients (mean age at time of data collection 24.8 years [range, 10.7â36.1]) could be analyzed focusing on overall survival and QoL (EORTCâC30 questionnaire). For more detailed information regarding general and healthâspecific questions, a separate questionnaire was developed.ResultsNineteen of 25 patients were alive 13.4 [1.6â25.2] years after first cancer disease, and the threeâyear overall survival was 76% (SE, 0.09). The score of QoL/global health status (76.2 [16.6â100]) in our patients outvalues the European (66.1) and equals the German (75.9) reference value.ConclusionIRT is an effective treatment option for pediatric patients with localized STS. Its role among other radiation doseâsparing techniques such as proton beam therapy has to be defined in prospective studies
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