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Biomedical subjects

J M Jenrette

Publications and source records attributed to J M Jenrette.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

Dynamic stereotactic radiosurgery using a linear accelerator.

We describe a system for stereotactic radiosurgery with a linear accelerator. This technique allows treatment of small (less than 40 mm diameter) intracranial lesions, including vascular malformations, and primary and metastatic tumors that are deep within the brain or in areas not amenable to open surgery. A beam of ionizing radiation (1800 to 2500 cGy) is focused on the center of the lesion, which is determined by stereotactic localization. "Dynamic rotation" of the linac gantry and table continuously about this predetermined point ensures that only the lesion receives the full radiation dose, while the normal structures in the head receive minimal amounts of radiation. The system combines, for the first time in one place, elements of radiosurgical technique developed at various centers. Testing for accuracy compares favorably with results at other centers using linac-based systems as well as comparing favorably with the gamma knife.

Brain Neoplasms

Primary malignant extragonadal germ cell tumors. An analysis of the effect of the effect of radiotherapy.

A retrospective analysis was performed on all patients diagnosed with biopsy-proven extragonadal germ cell tumors at the University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA), The Medical University of South Carolina (Charleston, SC), the Bethesda Naval Hospital (Bethesda, MD), and The Medical College of Virginia (Richmond, VA) for the time period of January 1965 to December 1984. A total of 54 patients were treated with the initial sites of presentation observed: mediastinum, 26; central nervous system, 14; retroperitoneum, eight; and sacrococcygeal region, six. Megavoltage irradiation was used in 44 patients with a dose range of 2400 to 5580 cGy (mean, 4213 cGy). With a minimum follow-up of 4.0 years and a mean follow-up of 10.8 years, the 5-year actuarial survival for the entire population was 57.8%. Local control was achieved in 26 of 44 (59%) of the irradiated population. Factors of prognostic significance included histologic type at presentation, site of presentation, and radiation doses greater than or equal to 4000 cGy. Radiotherapy appears to be an effective modality in patients with extragonadal seminomas; however, the nonseminomatous tumors do not appear to be as radioresponsive.

Adolescent

Intraperitoneal P-32 after negative second-look laparotomy in ovarian carcinoma.

Thirty-one patients underwent a negative second-look laparotomy between 1976 and 1986. Fourteen patients received intraperitoneal chromic phosphate (P-32) after a negative second-look laparotomy. There has been no local recurrence (zero of 14) and no deaths attributable to recurrent disease. Local control and disease-free survival are 100%, with a minimum follow-up of 2 years and a mean follow-up of 4 years. Seventeen patients received no further therapy because of patient refusal, poor diffusion, or other contraindications to P-32 installation. Four of 17 patients undergoing negative second-look procedures without the addition of P-32 have subsequently recurred. This difference is highly suggestive (P = .076). There have been no major complications with the addition of P-32. The use of intraperitoneal P-32 after negative second-look laparotomies on ovarian carcinoma is well tolerated and effective in preventing recurrence.

Female

Primary central nervous system germ cell tumors. Effect of histologic confirmation on radiotherapy.

Primary malignant intracranial germ cell tumors are rare lesions responsible for only 0.5% of all central nervous system (CNS) malignancy. With stereotactic localization these lesions can be safely biopsied, and histologic confirmation will affect the ultimate prognosis. This report is a multi-institutional retrospective analysis of 33 patients diagnosed with a primary CNS germ cell tumor. Tumors in 14 patients (42%) were histologically confirmed (13 germinoma and one embryonal cell carcinoma); 19 patients were treated with a presumptive diagnosis. All patients were irradiated with a dose range of 3950 cGy to 6000 cGy to the primary lesions. Eight patients received craniospinal irradiation, and 25 patients were locally treated. The 5-year actuarial survival for the entire population was 64%. The survival rate in patients with histologic confirmation was 79% versus 53% in the unbiopsied population. Radiation doses greater than 5000 cGy, radiotherapy volume, and age were prognostic factors in determining survival.

Age Factors

Primary malignant mediastinal germ-cell tumors and the contribution of radiotherapy: a southeastern multi-institutional study.

A retrospective review was performed by a multi-institutional study group to determine the contribution of radiotherapy to the management of primary malignant mediastinal germ-cell tumors. Twenty-seven patients diagnosed with a primary mediastinal germ-cell tumor between January 1965 and July 1985 form the basis of this study. Twenty-five of the 27 patients were male. Thirteen patients' tumors were diagnosed as seminoma and the remaining 14 patients' tumors had other germ-cell histologies. The single most important prognostic factor was histology, with a 5-year actuarial survival of 100% for the seminomas and only 8.8% for the remaining germ-cell varieties. If total surgical extirpation is not possible, biopsy may be adequate. Of the patients with seminoma, 11 of 12 had local control, and 3 of the 12 patients were treated with doses between 3,000 and 3,100 cGy. High doses for this variety of mediastinal germ-cell tumor might not be required. For the germ-cell tumors other than seminoma, no patient had local control with doses over the range of 3,000-4,750 cGy.

Adolescent

Radiation enteritis.

As the population receiving radiation therapy grows, so does the incidence of chronic radiation enteritis. A review of the pathology of chronic radiation enteritis reveals fibrosis, endarteritis, edema, fragility, perforation, and partial obstruction. Conservative management of patients with this disease is common. Because the obstruction is only partial, decompression is easily achieved with nasogastric suction and parenteral support. The patient is then often discharged on a liquid-to-soft diet. This therapeutic strategy does nothing for the underlying pathology. The problem, sooner or later, will return with the patient further depleted by the chronic radiation enteritis. We think surgical intervention is appropriate when the diagnosis of chronic radiation enteritis is assumed. The surgery in relation to this disease is high risk with a 30% mortality and 100% expensive morbidity. Early intervention seems to decrease these figures. All anastomoses, if possible, should be outside the irradiated area. Trapped pelvic loops of intestine should be left in place and a bypass procedure with decompressing enterostomies accomplished. The surgery should be performed by a surgeon with extensive experience with all kinds of bowel obstruction as well as experience in performing surgery in radiated tissue.

Enteritis

Computed tomography of acute radiation nephritis.

A patient with Hodgkin's disease received a fractionated 3,740 rad dosage over 4 weeks to a portal that included both kidneys. Three months later a computed tomographic scan obtained 2 hours after intravenous contrast injection demonstrated sharply demarcated, dense, persistent nephrograms corresponding to the irradiated areas. These changes are ascribed to acute radiation nephritis, reflecting tubular stasis and ischemia.

Child