High Dose Rate Brachytherapy as a Treatment Option in Endobronchial Tumors

Purpose. To report our experience with high dose rate endobronchial brachytherapy (HDR-EBBT) and to assess its efficacy and tolerability with possibility of its use in selected cases with curative intent. Method. Retrospective review of patients with endobronchial tumors treated at our institution in 2007–2013 with HDR-EBBT. Subjective response and treatment related toxicity were extracted from patients' records. Clinical response was evaluated by chest CT +/− bronchoscopy 2-3 months after treatment. Local control (LC) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed. Results. Overall 23 patients were identified. Ten patients were treated with curative intent, in 8 of them HDR-EBBT was combined with external beam radiotherapy. Short term palliation was as follows: dyspnea (13/15), cough (12/14), and hemoptysis (3/3). Seventeen patients were evaluated, of whom 9 (53%) showed complete response. Four patients developed local failure (only 1 of them treated with curative intent) and were salvaged with HDR-EBBT (n = 1), chemotherapy (n = 2), and laser (n = 1). Among patients treated with curative intent, the 2-year LC and OS were 89% and 67%, respectively, and 2 out of 4 deaths were cancer-related. Late toxicity included bronchial stenosis (n = 1). Only 1 patient had fatal hemoptysis and postmortem examination indicated local recurrence. Conclusion. HDR-EBBT is promising treatment with tolerable complication if used in properly selected patients.