Iodine-125 brachytherapy alone for advanced primary parotid gland carcinoma

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of iodine-125 (¹²⁵I) brachytherapy alone for the treatment of advanced parotid gland carcinoma and to identify predictors of tumour control and patient survival. Primary parotid gland carcinoma patients (n = 23) treated with ¹²⁵I brachytherapy alone between 1 October 2005 and 31 July 2013 at Peking University Stomatology Hospital were enrolled in this retrospective study. All had clinical stage IV disease. The prescribed dose was 60–160 Gy. The local control rate, survival rate, and predictors of the prognosis were evaluated. Adverse events related to treatment were also noted. The average follow-up time was 29 months (range 9–74 months). Among the 23 patients, six had local failure and 11 died during the follow-up period. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates were 87.0%, 55.4%, and 47.5%, respectively. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year progression-free survival rates were 73.9%, 47.0%, and 39.2%, respectively. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year local control rates were 82.1%, 73.9%, and 73.9%, respectively. Age and distant metastasis were independent predictors of survival, while the preoperative duration of the disease was an independent predictor of local control. The use of ¹²⁵I seed brachytherapy alone for the treatment of primary parotid gland carcinoma can provide good short-term results without causing any severe side effects.