Original Article

A new hypofractionated schedule of weekly irradiation for basal cell carcinoma of the head and neck skin area in elderly patients

Corresponding Author

Vassilis Kouloulias

2^ndDepartment of Radiology, Radiotherapy Unit, ATTIKON Hospital, Medical School, Athens National University, Athens, Greece

Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Vassilis Kouloulias, MS, MD, PhD, Professor Radiation Oncology, 2^nd Department of Radiology, Radiotherapy Unit, ATTIKON University Hospital, Athens 12462, Greece, or email: [email protected].Search for more papers by this author

Evaggelia Papadavid,

Evaggelia Papadavid

2^ndDermatology Department, ATTIKON Hospital, Medical School, Athens National University, Athens, Greece

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Eutyxia Mosa,

Eutyxia Mosa

2^ndDepartment of Radiology, Radiotherapy Unit, ATTIKON Hospital, Medical School, Athens National University, Athens, Greece

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Kalliopi Platoni,

Kalliopi Platoni

2^ndDepartment of Radiology, Radiotherapy Unit, ATTIKON Hospital, Medical School, Athens National University, Athens, Greece

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Othon Papadopoulos,

Othon Papadopoulos

Plastic Surgery Clinic, Andreas Syggros Hospital, Medical School, Athens National University, Athens, Greece

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Dimitrios Rigopoulos,

Dimitrios Rigopoulos

2^ndDermatology Department, ATTIKON Hospital, Medical School, Athens National University, Athens, Greece

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John Georgakopoulos,

John Georgakopoulos

2^ndDepartment of Radiology, Radiotherapy Unit, ATTIKON Hospital, Medical School, Athens National University, Athens, Greece

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Ivelina Beli,

Ivelina Beli

2^ndDepartment of Radiology, Radiotherapy Unit, ATTIKON Hospital, Medical School, Athens National University, Athens, Greece

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Fotios Karantonis,

Fotios Karantonis

Plastic Surgery Clinic, Andreas Syggros Hospital, Medical School, Athens National University, Athens, Greece

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Ourania Castana,

Ourania Castana

Dermatology Clinic, Eyaggelismos Hospital, Athens, Greece

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Maria Dalamaga,

Maria Dalamaga

Biochemistry Department, Medical School, Athens, Greece

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Nikolaos Kelekis,

Nikolaos Kelekis

2^ndDepartment of Radiology, Radiotherapy Unit, ATTIKON Hospital, Medical School, Athens National University, Athens, Greece

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Vassilis Kouloulias,

Corresponding Author

Vassilis Kouloulias

2^ndDepartment of Radiology, Radiotherapy Unit, ATTIKON Hospital, Medical School, Athens National University, Athens, Greece

Evaggelia Papadavid,

Evaggelia Papadavid

2^ndDermatology Department, ATTIKON Hospital, Medical School, Athens National University, Athens, Greece

Search for more papers by this author

Eutyxia Mosa,

Eutyxia Mosa

2^ndDepartment of Radiology, Radiotherapy Unit, ATTIKON Hospital, Medical School, Athens National University, Athens, Greece

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Kalliopi Platoni,

Kalliopi Platoni

2^ndDepartment of Radiology, Radiotherapy Unit, ATTIKON Hospital, Medical School, Athens National University, Athens, Greece

Search for more papers by this author

Othon Papadopoulos,

Othon Papadopoulos

Plastic Surgery Clinic, Andreas Syggros Hospital, Medical School, Athens National University, Athens, Greece

Search for more papers by this author

Dimitrios Rigopoulos,

Dimitrios Rigopoulos

2^ndDermatology Department, ATTIKON Hospital, Medical School, Athens National University, Athens, Greece

Search for more papers by this author

John Georgakopoulos,

John Georgakopoulos

2^ndDepartment of Radiology, Radiotherapy Unit, ATTIKON Hospital, Medical School, Athens National University, Athens, Greece

Search for more papers by this author

Ivelina Beli,

Ivelina Beli

2^ndDepartment of Radiology, Radiotherapy Unit, ATTIKON Hospital, Medical School, Athens National University, Athens, Greece

Search for more papers by this author

Fotios Karantonis,

Fotios Karantonis

Plastic Surgery Clinic, Andreas Syggros Hospital, Medical School, Athens National University, Athens, Greece

Search for more papers by this author

Ourania Castana,

Ourania Castana

Dermatology Clinic, Eyaggelismos Hospital, Athens, Greece

Search for more papers by this author

Maria Dalamaga,

Maria Dalamaga

Biochemistry Department, Medical School, Athens, Greece

Search for more papers by this author

Nikolaos Kelekis,

Nikolaos Kelekis

2^ndDepartment of Radiology, Radiotherapy Unit, ATTIKON Hospital, Medical School, Athens National University, Athens, Greece

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First published: 06 August 2013

https://doi.org/10.1111/dth.12082

Citations: 11

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Abstract

The effectiveness of radiotherapy in patients with basal cell carcinoma (BCC) has been already reported in the literature. However, there is little information about the irradiation of BCC in elderly patients, especially due to the low conformity of them to daily irradiation. Thirty-eight retrospectively selected elderly patients (78 years as median age) diagnosed with skin BCC of the head and neck area were treated with five weekly fractions of 600 cGy by three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) as an adjuvant treatment. The primary endpoint was the relapse free survival. Acute toxicity, as secondary endpoint, was assessed according to EORTC/RTOG criteria. Among our patients, there were only three local recurrences at 15, 32 and 38 months post-3DCRT. There was no severe toxicity, while only 10 out of 38 patients presented grade II/III skin toxicity. Our proposed irradiation schedule seems effective in terms of local control and acute toxicity and could be an alternative scheme for elderly patients unfit for daily irradiation.

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A new hypofractionated schedule of weekly irradiation for basal cell carcinoma of the head and neck skin area in elderly patients

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