Episcleral plaque brachytherapy for retinoblastoma.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The purpose of this study was to report our experience using episcleral plaque brachytherapy (EPBRT) to treat retinoblastoma and to demonstrate its applicability in multimodality treatment.

PROCEDURE:

We treated 26 tumors in 25 eyes from a group of 21 children with unilateral (n = 4) or bilateral (n = 17) retinoblastoma. The group comprised 8 girls and 13 boys; the median age was 25 months (range: 2-64 months) at the time of EPBRT. Iodine-125 ((125)I) was used for all applications. The median dose was 44 Gy (range: 35-47.6 Gy). EPBRT was administered primarily at the time of relapse after primary chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

RESULTS:

For eyes treated with EPBRT, the eye preservation rate was 15/25 with a median follow-up of 47 months (range: 2-198 months); the lesion control rate was 25/26 with a median follow-up of 13 months (range: 1-140 months). The median time to additional whole-eye treatment after EPBRT was 12 months (range: 2-105 months).

CONCLUSIONS:

Similar to previously reported series, EPBRT shows a high rate of successful tumor control as a primary treatment for retinoblastoma, as well as a secondary therapy at the time of relapse. EPBRT also allows for a clinically significant delay in the time to additional measures for the affected eye. Therefore, EPBRT should be considered as a form of local ophthalmic therapy that avoids or delays the use of external-beam radiotherapy, especially for patients primarily treated with chemotherapy who might require consolidation therapy.

• Authors: Thomas E Merchant, Ciara J Gould, Matthew W Wilson, Nathan E Hilton, Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, Barrett G Haik
• Journal: Pediatric blood & cancer (Pediatr Blood Cancer) Vol. 43 Issue 2 Pg. 134-9 (Aug 2004) ISSN: 1545-5009 [Print] United States
• PMID: 15236279 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)
• Copyright: Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Chemical References

• Iodine Radioisotopes

Topics

• Brachytherapy (methods)
• Child, Preschool
• Combined Modality Therapy
• Female
• Humans
• Infant
• Iodine Radioisotopes (therapeutic use)
• Male
• Retinal Neoplasms (mortality, radiotherapy, therapy)
• Retinoblastoma (mortality, radiotherapy, therapy)
• Survival Rate
• Treatment Outcome