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Biomedical subjects

M Catterall

Publications and source records attributed to M Catterall.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

Treatment of malignant melanoma by fast neutrons.

Fast neutron therapy has been used to treat 87 tumours of primary, recurrent or metastatic melanoma in 48 patients. Complete regression has been obtained in 71 percent of tumours and 91 per cent of all tumours were controlled for the remainder of the patients, lives. Median survival was 14.5 months; 30 of the 34 deaths were due to metastases. Complications arose in 22 per cent of sites and were either fibrosis, which was related to large treated areas, previous surgery or a higher than standard dose, or necrosis which was related to sites with poor circulation, such as in the lower limb. It is suggested that for the treatment of advanced local disease fast neutron therapy is more effective than X-ray treatment and has a local control rate similar to that of surgery.

Fast Neutrons↗
PubMed1984

Fast neutron treatment as an alternative to radical surgery for malignant tumours of the facial area.

Thirty one patients with very advanced tumours of the maxillary sinus were treated with fast neutrons. Tumour regressed completely in 29 (94%) and subsequently recurred in four (14%). No surgical excision of bone, skin, or nerve was required, and an artificial eye was well tolerated in cases where the eye received the tumour dose and had to be removed. Complications occurred in 10 patients, two of whom had already received radical x ray treatment. The overall duration of neutron treatment was four weeks, and admission to hospital was usually unnecessary. These results compared well with those obtained with surgery. Surgery with curative intent for even moderately advanced tumours of the facial region, particularly the paranasal sinuses, results in deformity, which is often severe and always irreversible. Even so, the cure rate is only about 35%. The high rates of tumour control and the avoidance of severe cosmetic and functional defects after fast neutron treatment make it an alternative to radical surgery in the management of malignant tumours of the facial area.

Eye, Artificial↗
PubMed1984

Facial nerve damage in the treatment of tumours of the parotid gland.

The treatment of malignant parotid gland tumours by either surgery or X-radiotherapy alone results in unacceptably high rates of local recurrence. This has led to a combined management, with radiation given either before or after surgery. In the best series this gives an 85% control rate but with severance of the facial nerve in a high proportion of cases. Fast neutron therapy was given for much more advanced tumours and gave the same control rate. Where the facial nerve had been damaged by the tumour, paralysis was lessened substantially in four of nine cases. However neutrons were the apparent course of damage to the nerve in three cases. Two of these had previously received surgery and X-ray therapy.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

The regression of tumors of the head and neck treated with neutrons.

Measurements were made of the exponential regression of cervical nodes from 44 patients with squamous carcinoma of the head and neck and of 20 salivary gland tumors treated with neutrons (7.5 MeV). In 80% of patients, the tumor regressed exponentially from the first day of treatment; in 20% of patients there was an initial shoulder followed by exponential regression. The volume-halving times were calculated and found to vary widely for each histological type. There was no correlation of the volume-halving time either with the differentiation of the squamous carcinomas or with the initial tumor volume. The mean volume-halving time for squamous carcinoma of the head and neck was 20.8 days; for malignant pleomorphic adenomas of the parotid gland the mean volume-halving time was 122.6 days.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1982

The assessment of the results of neutron therapy.

The control of tumors and the incidence of complications are major criteria for assessing the effectiveness of neutrons in the treatment of cancer. However, both of these are seriously affected by the neutron machines available at present. These have beams with poor penetration, wide penumbras, fixed field sizes and fixed positions. Undesirably large volumes of skin and normal tissues are therefore irradiated through the multiplicity of beams used and side scatter of radiation. Even machines with high energy neutrons are fixed in position and restricted in the sizes of fields available. Complications are therefore caused by inferior machines and compromised treatment plans independently of the biological effects of neutrons. The incidence of complications has caused some centers to reduce the dose of neutrons to a level where tumor control is not maintained and the recurrence rate is fairly high. The Hammersmith experience shows, however, that by improving treatment techniques and the care of early and late reactions, complications have been reduced from 18% to 5%, while maintaining the standard dose. There is close correlation between the clinical and laboratory data which show biological and physical advantages for neutron therapy. Higher energy machines with isocentric heads, mechanically adjustable collimators and the ability to use shields and wedges concurrently are now available and should be used to extend the investigation of neutrons, especially to tumors of the abdomen and pelvis.

Humans↗