Progress in Low-LET Heavy Particle Therapy: Intracranial and Paracranial Tumors and Uveal Melanomas

The Harvard Cyclotron Laboratory in collaboration with the Department of Radiation Medicine of the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Retina Service of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary provides low-LET heavy particle therapy with 160 MeV protons. The improved dose distribution of protons results from their physical characteristics. A total of 965 patients have been treated as of December 31, 1984. Dose is expressed in units of cobalt gray equivalent (CGE) which is the dose in Gy multiplied by the RBE (1.1) for modulated protons relative to60 Co radiation. Sixty-seven patients with chordomas or low-grade chondrosarcomas of the base of skull or cervical spine have received proton treatment. Forty-three of these patients have been followed for at least 8 months with a median follow-up of 27 months. The median dose is 69 CGE. The 3-year actuarial local control rate is 89%. Seven patients with gliomas, eight with craniopharyngiomas, and six with meningiomas have also received proton radiation treatm...