Analysis of failure following curative irradiation of gallbladder and extrahepatic bile duct carcinoma

Primary carcinoma of the gallbladder. Adjuvant postoperative external irradiation

Seven patients received the same postoperative (Postop) external-beam irradiation (NRT) after apparent complete removal of gallbladder carcinoma between August 1983 to February 1988. A dosage of 4600 cGy were delivered on a first volume (average treated volume 0.87 liters) corresponding to this of potentially locoregional disease, completed by a boost dose of 900 cGy on the gallbladder bed. Moderate acute side effects were seen in five patients; regressive dyspepsia in three and mean weight loss of 1.5 kg in three. The minimum follow-up is 5 months and the maximum is 58 months. Five patients are alive with no evidence of disease (NED) after 5, 9, 11, 31, and 58 months, respectively. One died at 12 months with local recurrence, liver metastasis, and peritoneal implants. Another one died at 26 months of abdominal recurrence. With regard to the natural history of this tumor, the dismal results obtained by surgery alone, and our preliminary data, we advocate Postop adjuvant XRT as a safe treatment.

Definitive radiation therapy in bile duct carcinoma

Between 1980 and 1985, 24 patients with primary adenocarcinoma of the bile duct were treated with various combinations of surgery, biliary intubation, external irradiation, and transcatheter brachytherapy. Seventy-five percent of tumors were in the proximal bile ducts. Ten patients received no or only palliative radiation, Group 1, whereas 14 patients received definitive courses of radiation (4 by external beam irradiation, 2 by transcatheter irradiation, and 8 by both modalities), Group 2. Survival in Group 1 and Group 2 was significantly different (p less than 0.005) with median survivals of 2.0 and 12.8 months, respectively. This result may be in part due to differences in treatment and in part due to selection bias because the series is small, uncontrolled, and retrospective. Median survival of the 8 patients treated with combined modalities was 13.2 months (range 7.4-30.3) with 4 patients alive 8.7 to 16.2 months, 3 without cholangiographic evidence of disease. Complications of therapy were common, including bacterial sepsis (58%), cholangitis (38%), gastrointestinal bleeding (46%), intra or extrahepatic abscesses (33%), and recurrent biliary obstruction (25%). Cholangitis, hemorrhage, abscesses, and ulcers appeared more frequently in definitively treated patients, whereas recurrent biliary obstruction was absent in this group and frequent in Group 1. Differences in complication rates between groups were not statistically significant. Early diagnosis and management usually reversed a downhill clinical course in patients with abscess and hemorrhage. Both surgical and percutaneous techniques of biliary decompression, the usual initial form of therapy in bile duct cancer, are associated with frequent and serious complications. Although many of our complications may have derived from biliary decompression, it is possible that definitive treatment may have increased the frequency of serious complications.

Treatment of malignant biliary obstruction by endoscopic implantation of iridium 192 using a new double lumen endoprosthesis

Iridium 192 seeds contained in a ribbon were preloaded into a new double lumen 11 Fr endoprosthesis which was then inserted into malignant strictures of the bile duct and ampulla and left in place for 48 hours until 5000 rads were delivered to the tumor. The procedure was carried out in 14 patients (7 women, 7 men; mean age, 63.2 years; range, 46 to 86 years). Six patients were treated for cholangiocarcinomas, four with pancreatic carcinomas, and four with ampullary carcinomas. No complications occurred. The mean survival of the group was 7 months (range, 3 days to 27 months). This new technique provides both intraluminal brachytherapy and biliary drainage and is inserted intraduodenally across the papilla of Vater avoiding puncture of the liver and external hardware required by the percutaneous technique and hardware necessitated with a nasobiliary tube. Following removal of the iridium prosthesis, a large caliber endoprosthesis is inserted for continued decompression. Because of proven efficacy of endoprostheses, this new technique should be considered when intraluminal irradiation is indicated.

History, preliminary results, complications, and future prospects of intraoperative radiotherapy

Intraoperative electron beam radiotherapy (IORT) is a new combined modality therapy in the treatment of cancer. IORT is delivered during a surgical procedure to a tumor or tumor bed and areas of possible local regional spread, with the ability to shield or physically move normal tissues and organs out of the treatment volume. IORT is feasible for various intraabdominal, retroperitoneal, pelvic, and other malignancies. It is possible to increase the total radiation dose, thereby improving the therapeutic ratio; a better local control without an increasing morbidity. Although the optimum use of IORT is still unknown, it is believed that its greatest value is in combination with maximal surgical resection of the tumor with or without external beam radiotherapy (EBRT). IORT is still an experimental treatment modality combining surgery, EBRT, and if necessary, chemotherapy. Because IORT is an expensive treatment method, it is important to determine which method is the best and most convenient for the patient. The answer can be given only when prospective, randomized clinical IORT trials and cost-effectiveness studies are initiated.

Carcinoma of the extrahepatic biliary system--results of primary and adjuvant radiotherapy

From 1975-1983, 20 patients with primary carcinomas of the gallbladder (GB) or extrahepatic bile ducts (EHBD) were irradiated with curative intent at the Washington University Medical Center and affiliated hospitals. Of the 17 patients with EHBD cancer, one received adjuvant irradiation after gross resection with positive microscopic margins. All others received primary irradiation for unresectable tumors, or for gross residual tumor after incomplete resection. The 8 patients receiving Ir192 implant in addition to external radiation showed improved (p = 0.06) survival compared to the 9 receiving external only: median 15 months (range 1.5-34 + months) versus 7 months (range 2.5-21 months). Failures were predominantly local-regional, with only one patient showing metastatic spread without known local-regional tumor. Adjuvant radiation therapy was given after cholecystectomy to 3 patients with GB cancers showing tumor extension beyond the serosa or to regional lymphatics. Of these, two survived at 22+ and 27+ months; the third died of local recurrence at 5 1/2 months. Although numbers are small, these results appear to support the use of adjuvant radiotherapy in patients with microscopic residual GB cancer. Aggressive local and regional radiotherapy can add to the quality and length of survival in both patient groups, that is, those with resectable lesions with high likelihood of microscopic residual, and also those with unresectable or gross residual disease after surgery.

Endoscopic palliation of jaundice in gallbladder cancer

Endoscopically placed biliary endoprostheses were used to treat obstructive jaundice in 64 patients with advanced or recurrent gallbladder carcinoma. Successful placement of an endoprosthesis was achieved in 55 patients (86%). Bilirubin declined in 52 of 55 cases (94.5%) and normalized in 37 of 44 patients (84%) who survived more than 30 days. Procedure-related mortality was 3.1%. The thirty-day mortality of 14.5% was better, and the mean overall survival of 161 days was comparable to published surgical results. Due to the lower cost, improved patient tolerance, and reasonable survival, we consider endoscopic drainage to be the procedure of choice in patients with obstructive jaundice secondary to recurrent and unresectable gallbladder cancer.

Hepatic duct stricture after radical radiation therapy for biliary cancer: recurrence or fibrosis?

Two patients with biliary cancer received radical radiation therapy. After treatment, both patients experienced episodes of biliary obstruction without definite evidence of progression of the tumor. These cases emphasize the importance of including radiation-induced biliary fibrosis in the differential diagnosis of hepatic duct stricture after radical radiation therapy.

Intraoperative radiotherapy

The potential benefit of intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) was originally recognized years ago and has recently attracted renewed interest. Modern radiotherapeutic approaches may be more successful as a result of technical innovation, particularly in the use of electron beam accelerators. Preliminary studies, mainly uncontrolled and nonrandomized, have assessed the role of IORT for treatment of a variety of deep seated abdominal, retroperitoneal, and pelvic cancers. The results of some studies show much promise, but prospective trials are needed to scientifically validate these favorable initial observations.

Local control and survival in locally advanced gastrointestinal cancer

When conventional modalities (external beam irradiation and chemotherapy +/- resection) are used in the treatment of locally advanced gastrointestinal malignancies, although useful palliation can be achieved in many patients, local control and long-term survival are infrequent. In recent trials, investigators have used fractionated external beam doses of 4500-5000 rad in 180 rad fractions in combination with irradiation boost techniques of intraoperative electrons, or intraoperative or transcatheter brachytherapy (+/- chemotherapy and resection). With colorectal and biliary cancer, both local control and long-term survival appear to be improved, compared to results achieved with conventional treatment. With pancreatic cancer, an apparent improvement has been noted with local control and median survival, but long-term survival has not been altered. For partially resected gastric cancer, the use of intraoperative irradiation has yielded five year survival rates of approximately 20%. With unresectable or residual gastric cancer, accelerated fractionation alone or in combination with chemotherapy has yielded excellent local control, but patients have died as a result of abdominal failure or lung metastases. Prevention of abdominal failures will be necessary to improve long-term survival with pancreatic and gastric cancer. Randomized trials by site are needed to determine if the observed differences seen in prospective nonrandomized trials are real or due to differences in case selection.

Residual, recurrent, or unresectable gastrointestinal cancer. Role of radiation in single or combined modality treatment

When conventional modalities of external beam irradiation and chemotherapy +/- resection are used in the treatment of locally advanced gastrointestinal malignancies, although useful palliation can be achieved in many patients, cure and long-term survival is infrequent. Aggressive combined modality approaches have recently encorporated irradiation boost techniques with intraoperative electrons or intraoperative or transcatheter brachytherapy. Both local control and long-term survival appear to be improved when compared with results achieved with conventional treatment. Randomized trials are needed to determine if the observed differences are real or due to differences in case selection.