Early experience with Cf-252 brachytherapy for esophageal, bronchial, skin cancers, and malignant melanomas, at the Cancer Institute Hospital, Tokyo

Analysis was made of the authors' experiences with Cf-252 brachytherapy, conducted between 1974 and 1981 for radioresistant cancers, to extend the indications of conventional Ra-brachytherapy of 54 primary and 64 secondary cases of various sites and histology. From the analysis, the authors conclude the following: 1) Early local effects of Cf-252 brachytherapy on 54 primary and 64 secondary cases were reviewed; 2) Overall results of different kinds of cancers were reviewed; 3) No CR response was obtained in 12 primary and 2 secondary cases of esophageal cancer by intraluminal Cf-252 brachytherapy; 4) CR response was obtained in one out of two cases of bronchial cancer; 5) CR response rate of 43% (3/7) and PR response rate of 58% (4/7) were obtained for radioresistant skin cancers developing from a scarred tumor bed; 6) CR response rate of 40% (2/5) and PR response of 40% (2/5) were obtained in malignant melanoma cases; 7) An average dose of 10-15 Gy in 7-10 days is considered optimum except for malignant melanoma which required doses of 15-19 Gy; and 8) The exact indications of Cf-252 brachytherapy should be studied in a large number of cases in the future by very careful analysis of clinical andmore » histopathological responses in individual cases.« less