IRRADIATION OF OVARIAN CARCINOMAS

A PROSPECTIVE COMPARISON OF THE OPEN-FIELD AND MOVING-STRIP TECHNIQUES

¹ Division of Radiation Therapy, The Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, Pennsylvania.
² Chief, Division of Radiotherapy, The George Washington University Hospital, Washington, D. C.

Between 1965 and 1970, 50 patients were irradiated in a prospective clinical trial assessing the acute and chronic effects of 4,000 rads in 56 days delivered to the entire abdomen and pelvis using open-fields compared to 3,000 rads in 10 days using the moving-strip technique. Both objective and subjective parameters were assessed and local recurrences, complications, and survivals determined. Distribution of the 50-patients was found to be homogeneous in terms of stage, histologic type, presence of malignant ascites, rupture of malignant cyst, and removal of all gross tumor. The severity of gastrointestinal reactions was slightly more severe using the moving-strip technique. The patients receiving the moving-strip irradiation demonstrated an apparent sparing of the peripheral hematocrit during the course of irradiation. In no case was the treatment permanently interrupted due to complications of treatment, although 2 terminations occurred in the moving-strip group and 6 among the open-field patients.

Although the moving-strip technique delivers a biologically larger dose (1,400 rets versus 1,060 rets), no significant difference in length of survival or local tumor control was demonstrated in this pilot study. Differences could perhaps be demonstrated in a larger prospective study with the addition of 2,000 rads pelvic boost. No case of nephritis or hepatitis has been noted.

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