Current results of neutron therapy at the UCL, for soft tissue sarcomas and prostatic adenocarcinomas. Université Catholique de Louvain.

From March 1978 to August 1985, 630 patients were treated with fast neutrons at the UCL cyclotron of Louvain-la-Neuve. Neutrons are produced by bombarding a beryllium target with 65 MeV protons. A CNPF of 2.8 was adopted. As far as soft tissue sarcomas are concerned, 32 patients were irradiated after "radical" surgery: only 2 local recurrences were observed (follow-up from 6 months to more that 5 years). On the other hand, in a group of 26 patients with large inoperable, recurrent of incompletely resected tumours, local control could not be achieved in 14 cases. In the whole group of these 58 patients, 12 severe complications were observed; their frequency increases with field size which in turn reflects tumour extent. Locally extended prostatic adenocarcinomas (stage C) were treated with mixed schedule irradiation (3 neutron and 2 photon fractions per week). A local control rate of 93% at 1 year, of 83% at 2 years, and 90% at 3 years was achieved (28, 23 and 10 patients respectively). The early and late tolerance was excellent; only one complication was observed.