The clinical results
presented for IORT treatment are taken from data published in
medical journals or presented at medical and scientific meetings.
IORT is always given as part of a comprehensive treatment approach
that may also involve additional pre-operative or post-operative
radiation therapy or chemotherapy. The appropriate additional
therapy that might be required depends on the stage and extent
of the disease and is a medical decision that should be made in
consultation with a physician.
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Soft tissue sarcomas are malignant tumors that can arise in the extremities (50%), trunk and retroperitoneum (40%), or the head and neck (10%) [1]. Extremity and truncal soft tissue sarcomas are often treated successfully by a combination of surgery and external irradiation [2-4]. Because of their anatomical location and nature, however, retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcomas usually grow quite large before they are first detected, thus limiting the possibilities for extensive surgical resection of the disease [5]. In addition, external irradiation must be restricted to spare normal tissues such as the liver, small bowel, stomach, kidney and spinal cord from excessive radiation damage [6]. Local tumor recurrence and metastatic spread of the cancer are common events. Preliminary clinical studies have indicated that IORT offers an effective means of improving local control with retroperitoneal sarcomas [7]. Since metastases are a frequent occurrence also, it is anticipated that additional therapeutic gains could be realized from a combination of external irradiation, surgery, IORT and chemotherapy.
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