Two Cases of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Treated with Co-60 HDR ICR.

Shin, Sei One; Kang, Cheol Hoon; Kim, Seong Gyu; Kim, Myung Se

doi:1990.7.1.197

Yeungnam Univ J Med > Volume 7(1); 1990 > Article

Case Report

Yeungnam University Journal of Medicine 1990;7(1):197-201.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12701/yujm.1990.7.1.197 Published online June 30, 1990.

Two Cases of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Treated with Co-60 HDR ICR.

Sei One Shin, Cheol Hoon Kang, Seong Gyu Kim, Myung Se Kim

Abstract

The primary treatment modality of malignant tumors of the nasopharynx is radiation therapy owing to its inaccessibility to surgical intervention. Over the last two decades there were many changes in techniques of delivery, which include the use of higher doses of radiotherapy, the use of wide radiation field, including the elective radiation of the whole neck, the combined use of brachy- and teletherapy, and the use of split-course therapy. In spite of these advances local and regional recurrences remain the major cause of death. As a boost therapy after external irradiation, high-dose-rate intracavitary irradiation using remote control afterloading system (RALS) was used in two patients. Our results were satisfactory, however, this procedure should only be performed by those who have developed enough expertise in the use of intracavitary techniques for the treatment of nasopharyngeal cancer and have a supportive team including a physicist, dosimetrist, nurse, and trained technologist.

Key Words: Intracavitary irradiation, Nasopharyngeal carcinoma