Background: The main treatment given for initial stage facial epitheliomas is surgery, although there are alternatives. We present our results with Ir-192 high-dose rate (HDR) contact brachytherapy.
Methods and materials: Fifty-one epitheliomas, with a mean size of 1.5 cm and a maximum thickness of 3mm, were treated with HDR contact brachytherapy by means of customized molds, with plastic tubes on bolus for flat surfaces and on wax molds for the nose. A total dose of 48-57 Gy, 3-4 Gy/fraction three times a week, was administered.
Results: After a median followup of 45 months, five tumors relapsed (9.8%), four of them on the tip of the nose. The 5-year actuarial local control rate was 89%, 100% for flat surfaces, and 83% for the nose. All of them were salvaged with surgery. The treatment was well tolerated, 21.6% developed severe acute toxicity, with good or very good late cosmetic results.
Conclusion: HDR contact brachytherapy is a good alternative to treat facial epitheliomas with a maximum thickness of 3mm. Tip of the nose tumors are not well covered with this technique and a different procedure is required.
Copyright © 2011 American Brachytherapy Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.