| No mention of dactinomycin potentiation of pulmonary radiation was found in a review of the literature of the past 12 years. Before that, this complication was well described and investigators had calculated that dactinomycin increased the toxic effect of lung radiation by a factor of 1.3 and reduced the radiation tolerance of the lung by at least 20%. An example of such a toxic effect is described in the treatment of a 7-year-old girl with lung metastases from Ewing's sarcoma. The chemotherapy protocol followed contained cyclophosphamide, vincristine, dactinomycin, adriamycin, cisplatinum, VP16, and radiotherapy. The treatment was associated with fatal pulmonary fibrosis following the reintroduction of dactinomycin after radiotherapy. Our experience suggests that there is clinical significance to this complication in sarcoma therapy when dactinomycin-containing protocols are used with radiation in the treatment of pulmonary metastases. ( info) |
2/3. Management of laryngeal radionecrosis: animal and clinical experience. Radiation necrosis of the laryngeal cartilages is an uncommon complication of radiotherapy for laryngeal carcinoma. It is a devastating process for which there is no one acceptable treatment. Medical management offers only temporary, symptomatic relief, which further necessitates surgical treatment. Surgical management may start with a tracheotomy; however, it often ends with a total laryngectomy. Physiologically, the necrotic cartilages are the source of the problem. It is a general surgical principle that nonviable tissue must be excised to promote healing. Therefore, if the affected laryngeal cartilages were removed, the larynx should heal. Total or near total removal of the thyroid and cricoid cartilages with preservation of the endolaryngeal soft tissues has not been reported in the literature. Theoretically, if the entire cartilaginous framework is removed, there would be no structural support for the airway. We have found using animal models, that submucosal resection of the laryngeal cartilages, leaving the perichondrium and endolaryngeal soft tissues intact can result in a competent airway. Animal and clinical experience will be presented. ( info) |
3/3. Prevention of radiation enteritis after abdominoperineal resection and radiotherapy. The method described, aimed at preventing radiation enteritis in patients undergoing radiotherapy, postabdominoperineal resection is simple enough, does not materially prolong the time of operation and in our experience, thus far, seems to be effective. ( info) |