Clinical and endoscopic response to high dose rate endobronchial brachytherapy in malignant lung tumors: A single centre experience

Purpose: The aim of the study was to evaluate the short-term clinical, endoscopic response, and acute toxicities in endobronchial cancer treated with high-dose-rate endobronchial brachytherapy (HDR-EB). Materials and Methods: Thirty patients of advanced endobronchial cancers were treated with HDR-EB. Brachytherapy was delivered at a depth of 1 cm from the source axis at weeks 1, 2, and 3 with 7 Gy per fraction. All patients were evaluated before treatment and at 1 month after completion of therapy. Using Speiser's scoring criteria, the severity of symptoms (dyspnea, cough, hemoptysis, and postobstructive pneumonia) and degree of obstruction were graded. Results: Symptomatic response for cough, dyspnea, and hemoptysis was seen in 88%, 75%, and 96%, respectively, with a significant P value (