CURRENT TECHNIQUES WITH 6-18 MEV. ELECTRON BEAM

¹ From the Department of Radiotherapy, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute at Houston, Houston, Texas

The current techniques with the electron beam are summarized as follows:

1. Treatment of primary lesions of the upper respiratory and digestive passages.

a. Combined photon and electron beams in a 1:1 ratio of given doses.

b. Interstitial radium or radioactive seeds to complete treatment, after tumor doses of 4,000 rads in 4 weeks or 5,000 rads in 5 weeks are given with the electron beam.

c. Boost therapy, after 5,000 rads in 5 weeks with cobalt 60 teletherapy, is limited to 1,500-2,000 rads tumor dose with the electron beam alone or combined with the photon beam in a 1:1 ratio, if required by depth or in an area shadowed by bone.

2. Treatment of cervical lymph node metastases.

a. The entire neck, either prior to or following radical neck dissection, is treated with the 9 mev. electron beam. If preoperative, the given dose is 5,000 rads in 4 weeks, if postoperative, the given dose is 6,000 rads in 5 weeks, with a boost of 500 or 1,000 rads for recurrent disease.

b. Boost therapy to residual lymph nodes, after 5,000 to 6,000 rads with cobalt 60 teletherapy, is limited to 1,000 to 1,500 rads given dose to a sharply reduced field.

3. Treatment of breast cancer.

a. Following radical mastectomy, the peripheral lymphatic areas (supraclavicular and internal mammary) are treated with the 12 and 15 mev. electron beam to a given dose of 5,000 rads in 4 weeks. The chest wall is treated at 6 mev. and receives 5,500 rads in 4 weeks.

b. Boost therapy to the breast primary lesion and axillary lymph nodes, following comprehensive cobalt 6o teletherapy, is limited to given doses of 1,500 rads in 10 days to 3,000 rads in 2 weeks to a sharply limited field.

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?