International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics
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Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. · Jan 1993
A survey of radiation oncologists regarding their radiation physics instruction.
The American Association of Physicists in Medicine, Committee on Training of Radiologists conducted a survey of radiation oncologists requesting information regarding their radiation oncology physics training. General questions were asked of the oncologist regarding their radiation oncology practice such as number of oncologists, number of new patients treated, and the size and type of facility in which the practice is located. ⋯ The responders indicated that the importance of most physics topics in their clinical practice corresponded to the level of their understanding. The survey indicated that for most radiation oncologists their physics instruction was an important and interesting part of their residency program.
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Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. · Jan 1993
Postoperative radiation therapy for squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity and oropharynx: impact of therapy on patients with positive surgical margins.
The presence of a positive or close margin after resection of a squamous cancer of the head and neck is associated with a significant risk of local recurrence. To determine the efficacy of postoperative radiation therapy for patients with advanced oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers with inadequate margins of resection, the present retrospective analysis was undertaken. ⋯ We conclude that excellent local control can be achieved with postoperative radiation therapy, despite the presence of inadequate margins of resection, when doses of > or = 60 Gy are used. Future strategies must be directed at further improving these results in patients with oral tongue lesions.
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Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. · Jan 1993
Local hyperthermia, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy in patients with local-regional recurrence of breast carcinoma.
We retrospectively reviewed the response rate and the acute and long-term toxicity of combined treatment using radiation therapy, hyperthermia, and chemotherapy in 29 patients with locally or regionally recurrent or advanced adenocarcinoma of the breast who completed at least 4 of the 6 prescribed hyperthermia treatments as part of a Phase I-II trial. Thirty-nine separate hyperthermia treatment fields were evaluated. Cisplatin alone or cisplatin with etanidazole or bleomycin was delivered just prior to hyperthermia once weekly. ⋯ We conclude that the combination of radiation therapy, hyperthermia, and chemotherapy results in a high rate of complete response. However, in patients who have been treated with prior radiation therapy, this combination may be more locally toxic than treatment with hyperthermia and radiation therapy alone. The precise impact of chemotherapy on the therapeutic index of hyperthermia and radiation therapy remains to be determined in randomized clinical trials.
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Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. · Jan 1992
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialReduction of pain and local complications when buffered lidocaine solution is used as a local anesthetic in conjunction with hyperthermia treatments: results of a randomized trial.
Unbuffered lidocaine (pH = 6.5) is commonly employed as a local anesthetic prior to transcutaneous placement of catheters for use in temperature monitoring during hyperthermia treatments. The most frequent complaint associated with this procedure is stinging or burning pain at the injection site. Tender firm subcutaneous nodules at sites of lidocaine infiltration for catheter placement have also been noted in fields treated with radiation and hyperthermia. ⋯ Treatment fields that received the buffered anesthetic had a statistically significant reduction in the pain associated with infiltration of lidocaine (p less than 0.05) without any compromise in its therapeutic efficacy as observed on a linear Visual Analog Scale. Furthermore, the incidence of subcutaneous nodules was lower in the fields treated with the buffered solution (1/23 vs 7/29, p = 0.05 for buffered and unbuffered solutions, respectively). The results of this trial support the use of buffered lidocaine prior to catheter placement for hyperthermia treatments as a method of reducing pain at infiltration and the subsequent development of subcutaneous nodules.