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. 2022 Nov 26;14(23):5841. doi: 10.3390/cancers14235841

Table 2.

Clinical cases which could benefit from brachytherapy.

No. Diagnosis Therapy Evolution
Tumors locate in the prostate
1 Prostate adenocarcinoma T3NoMo, G8,iPSA = 18 ng/mL (2013) Hormone therapy (HT) + External radiotherapy (RT) 76 Gy Local recurrence. A complement of brachytherapy seeds in 2013 could have avoided the recurrence.
2 Prostate adenocarcinoma T2NoMo, G6, iPSA = 11 ng/mL (2011). Right seminal bladder recurrence Permanent implant of iodine 125 Local recurrence. A complement of brachytherapy seeds would avoid a mutilating surgery that the patient refused.
3 Prostate adenocarcinoma T2aNoMo, G6, iPSA = 9 (2012). Prior rectum cancer surgically removed Hormone therapy (HT) Death. Robotic brachytherapy would have saved the patient.
4 Bladder cancer, T2NoMo Radical cystectomy Partial cystectomy and robotic brachytherapy would have avoided the mutilating surgery with a better quality of life.
Tumours located in the liver
1 Rectosigmoid cancer stage IV (liver and pulmonary metastases), Radio- and Chemotherapy (RCT), surgery Palliative chemotherapy. Radiofrequency ablation Focal brachytherapy would have performed better on the liver metastases.
2 Oesophagus cancer, stage III, RCT. Local recurrence and liver spread. Cirrhosis Supportive care Death. Brachytherapy (oesophagus and liver) would have extended the patient survival with good life quality.
3 Unifocal hepatocellular carcinoma over cirrhosis. Inoperable due to comorbidities Sorafenib Death. Local brachytherapy would have extended the patient survival.
Tumours located at the rectum level
1 Rectal cancer, RCT, surgery. Local recurrence Palliative chemotherapy Local and distant recurrence. Brachytherapy would have improved the prognosis avoiding (or delaying) metastases.
2 Rectum (stage III) and prostate Synchronous Adenocarcinoma T3NoMo RCT + surgery Prostate brachytherapy would have prevented the surgery and all its complications (incontinence, urinary infection).
3 Epidermoid carcinoma anal canal. T4N2Mo, RCT. Local recurrence. Surgery (rectum amputation) Surgery Initial brachytherapy would have avoided the recurrence and thus the amputation.
4 Inferior rectum adenocarcinoma T2NoMo Rectum amputation Local excision and brachytherapy would have avoided the second, mutilating, surgery.
Thoracic tumours (lungs and breast)
1 Pulmonary metastases following testicle cancer, multiple recurrences Chemotherapy, surgeries (testicle, ganglions, lungs) External pulmonary radiotherapy Death. Brachytherapy would have avoided the recurrences.
2 Epidermoid pulmonary cancer. Local inoperable recurrence Chemotherapy, palliative radiotherapy Death. Brachytherapy would have, at least, extended the survival.
3 Thoracic sarcoma Surgery, radiotherapy Brachytherapy would have provided the same outcome with much lower toxicity.
4 Retroperitoneal sarcoma, positive margins resection, irradiated Surgery, RT, CHT Local recurrence. Brachytherapy could have complemented the external dose of radiation to avoid recurrences, without the increase in intestinal toxicity.