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Prognostic factors for tumour response and skin damage to combined radiotherapy and hyperthermia in superficial recurrent breast carcinomas

Lindholm, C-E ; Kjellén, Elisabeth LU ; Nilsson, Per LU orcid ; Weber, Lars LU and Hill, S (1995) In International Journal of Hyperthermia 11(3). p.337-355
Abstract
Prognostic factors for complete tumour response and acute skin damage to combined hyperthermia and radiotherapy were analysed in material of patients with breast cancer, recurrent in previously irradiated areas. Radiotherapy was given daily to a total absorbed dose of 30.0 Gy in 2 weeks or 34.5 Gy in 3 weeks. The first radiotherapy schedule was combined with heat twice weekly, a total of four heat treatments (schedule A). The second radiotherapy schedule was combined with heat either once or twice a week resulting in a total of three (schedule B) or six (schedule C) heat treatments. Heat was induced with microwaves (2450, 915 or 434 MHz) via external applicators and always given after the radiotherapy fraction. The complete response (CR)... (More)
Prognostic factors for complete tumour response and acute skin damage to combined hyperthermia and radiotherapy were analysed in material of patients with breast cancer, recurrent in previously irradiated areas. Radiotherapy was given daily to a total absorbed dose of 30.0 Gy in 2 weeks or 34.5 Gy in 3 weeks. The first radiotherapy schedule was combined with heat twice weekly, a total of four heat treatments (schedule A). The second radiotherapy schedule was combined with heat either once or twice a week resulting in a total of three (schedule B) or six (schedule C) heat treatments. Heat was induced with microwaves (2450, 915 or 434 MHz) via external applicators and always given after the radiotherapy fraction. The complete response (CR) rate in evaluable patients was 71% (49/69). There was no significant difference in CR rate between the three different hyperthermia schedules. The CR rates were 74% (14/19), 65% (15/23) and 74% (20/27) for schedules A, B and C respectively. The only factor predicting CR, evaluated both uni- and multivariately, was the CRE-value for the present radiotherapy dose (p = 0.02). If only tumours treated with 915 MHz were taken into account, however, then the highest minimum temperature at a given heat session predicted complete response (p = 0.03). This was true also in a multivariate analysis of this subgroup of tumours. A Kaplan-Meier analysis (log rank test) showed no significant difference in duration of CR between the different treatment schedules. Cox's proportional hazards method revealed three significant factors: tumour size (negatively correlated, p = 0.007), the time interval between the diagnosis of the primary tumour and the present treatment (p = 0.02) and the average temperature (0.03). Maximum acute skin reactions in the treatment field were scored according to an ordinal scale of 0-8, modified after WHO 1979. Twenty-six treatment areas (32%) expressed more severe skin damage (score > or = 5) in terms of desquamation with blisters (14%) and necrosis or ulceration (19%). Factors correlated with skin damage were the size of the lesion area (p = 0.011), the highest average maximum temperature during a given heat session (p = 0.03) and the fractionation schedule of hyperthermia (p = 0.05). The extent of previous radiotherapy absorbed dose, previous surgery in the treated area or previous chemotherapy had no significant influence on the acute skin reactions. (Less)
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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Hyperthermia, radiotherapy, breast cancer, human tumours, prognostic factors
in
International Journal of Hyperthermia
volume
11
issue
3
pages
337 - 355
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • pmid:7636321
  • scopus:0029038597
ISSN
0265-6736
DOI
10.3109/02656739509022470
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
d2c4acb5-c4d7-4195-a3f5-28b0432d6fbb (old id 1108986)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:20:28
date last changed
2021-08-08 05:22:30
@article{d2c4acb5-c4d7-4195-a3f5-28b0432d6fbb,
  abstract     = {{Prognostic factors for complete tumour response and acute skin damage to combined hyperthermia and radiotherapy were analysed in material of patients with breast cancer, recurrent in previously irradiated areas. Radiotherapy was given daily to a total absorbed dose of 30.0 Gy in 2 weeks or 34.5 Gy in 3 weeks. The first radiotherapy schedule was combined with heat twice weekly, a total of four heat treatments (schedule A). The second radiotherapy schedule was combined with heat either once or twice a week resulting in a total of three (schedule B) or six (schedule C) heat treatments. Heat was induced with microwaves (2450, 915 or 434 MHz) via external applicators and always given after the radiotherapy fraction. The complete response (CR) rate in evaluable patients was 71% (49/69). There was no significant difference in CR rate between the three different hyperthermia schedules. The CR rates were 74% (14/19), 65% (15/23) and 74% (20/27) for schedules A, B and C respectively. The only factor predicting CR, evaluated both uni- and multivariately, was the CRE-value for the present radiotherapy dose (p = 0.02). If only tumours treated with 915 MHz were taken into account, however, then the highest minimum temperature at a given heat session predicted complete response (p = 0.03). This was true also in a multivariate analysis of this subgroup of tumours. A Kaplan-Meier analysis (log rank test) showed no significant difference in duration of CR between the different treatment schedules. Cox's proportional hazards method revealed three significant factors: tumour size (negatively correlated, p = 0.007), the time interval between the diagnosis of the primary tumour and the present treatment (p = 0.02) and the average temperature (0.03). Maximum acute skin reactions in the treatment field were scored according to an ordinal scale of 0-8, modified after WHO 1979. Twenty-six treatment areas (32%) expressed more severe skin damage (score > or = 5) in terms of desquamation with blisters (14%) and necrosis or ulceration (19%). Factors correlated with skin damage were the size of the lesion area (p = 0.011), the highest average maximum temperature during a given heat session (p = 0.03) and the fractionation schedule of hyperthermia (p = 0.05). The extent of previous radiotherapy absorbed dose, previous surgery in the treated area or previous chemotherapy had no significant influence on the acute skin reactions.}},
  author       = {{Lindholm, C-E and Kjellén, Elisabeth and Nilsson, Per and Weber, Lars and Hill, S}},
  issn         = {{0265-6736}},
  keywords     = {{Hyperthermia; radiotherapy; breast cancer; human tumours; prognostic factors}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{337--355}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Hyperthermia}},
  title        = {{Prognostic factors for tumour response and skin damage to combined radiotherapy and hyperthermia in superficial recurrent breast carcinomas}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/02656739509022470}},
  doi          = {{10.3109/02656739509022470}},
  volume       = {{11}},
  year         = {{1995}},
}