Feasibility and clinical value of computed tomography-guidedI brachytherapy for pain palliation in patients with retroperitoneal lymph node metastases.

AIMS

The aim was to evaluate the feasibility and clinical value of computed tomography (CT)-guided I brachytherapy for pain palliation in patients with retroperitoneal lymph node metastases.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 23 patients with retroperitoneal lymph node metastases and those who had moderate-to-severe pain from January 2014 to December 2018 were enrolled in the study. The primary tumors included pancreatic (n = 12), gastric (n = 4), hepatocellular (n = 4), colorectal (n = 2), and esophageal carcinomas (n= 1). Patients were treated with CT-guided percutaneous I brachytherapy during the study. The Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form was used to record and compare pain intensity and interference by pain. Treatment-related complications were also evaluated according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Late Radiation Morbidity Scoring Criteria. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software version 22.0.

RESULTS

The primary success rate of I seed implantation was 95.7% (22 of the 23 patients). As pain evolved, the patients achieved obvious pain palliation ratings for "worst pain" and "average pain" at 72 h and 4 weeks after brachytherapy, respectively, whereas "pain right now" at 12 weeks was significantly relieved after brachytherapy. No serious complications developed during the perioperative period.

CONCLUSIONS

In the treatment of intractable carcinomatous pain in patients with retroperitoneal lymph node metastases, CT-guided I brachytherapy is a feasible and effective modality for pain palliation.