Perioperative High-dose Rate Brachytherapy Using a Bendy Applicator (flab): Treatment Results of 74 Patients

Background: Radiotherapy plays a pivotal role in tumor treatment. Brachytherapy as an additional radiation technique allows local dose increments in areas at high risk of local failure.

Patients And Methods: Our past 15-year experience with tissue-equivalent bendy applicator brachytherapy at the University Hospital Münster, Germany was reviewed. A series of 74 consecutive patients who had mainly been treated for sarcomas with perioperative brachytherapy was analyzed with a focus on local relapse-free survival and side-effects.

Results: The 5-year local control rate was 73% in primary treatment situations with a significant influence of additional external irradiation, surgical margin depth and tumor entity. Late sequelae of combined modality treatment were observed in 40 patients (54%) and mainly concerned wound healing (n = 18, 24%).

Conclusion: A high-risk collective, in view of local failure, showed adequate local control rates as well as acceptable late sequelae. Flab brachytherapy is a good treatment option to achieve local radiation dose increments in patients at high risk of local failure.