[en] Intramedullary spinal cord tumors are relatively rare, especially to the extent presented in this report. A 31-year-old woman had been diagnosed as having an inoperable astrocytoma, grade I-II, involving the entire cervical spinal cord and two upper thoracic segments. After decompressive laminectomy, she was referred for a radical course of radiation therapy. An irradiation technique was devised which allowed treatment of a single cylindrical volume of tissue encompassing the known tumor. Field fractionation with undesirable gaps and/or excessive dose to overlying normal structures was avoided. To the cervical spinal cord she received 5590 cGy in 29 fractions over 42 days. By this schedule she received at the same time 4820 cGy to the medulla oblongata and 4880 cGy to the upper thoracic cord. Partial neurological improvement occurred at the end of the treatment. The treatment approach is discussed in the background of the literature data. (orig.)
[de]
Intramedullaere Tumoren des Rueckenmarks sind verhaeltnismaessig selten, vor allem so umfangreiche wie hier beschrieben. Bei einer 31jaehrigen Frau war ein inoperables Astrozytom I-II festgestellt worden, das sich ueber den gesamten zervikalen Teil des Rueckenmarks und zwei obere Thoraxsegmente erstreckte. Nach Dekompresssionslaminektomie wurde die Patientin einer radikal dosierten Strahlentherapie zugefuehrt. Die hierfuer entwickelte Bestrahlungstechnik erlaubte die Behandlung eines einzelnen zylindrischen Gewebevolumens, das den betreffenden Tumor umschloss. eine Unterteilung des Bestrahlungsfeldes mit unerwuenschten Luecken und/oder ueberhoehten Dosen in benachbarten gesunden Strukturen wurde vermieden. Das zervikale Rueckenmark erhielt 5590 cGy in 29 Fraktionen ueber 42 Tage verteilt. Durch dieses Bestrahlungsschema ergaben sich zugleich 4820 cGy fuer die Medulla oblongata und 4880cGy fuer das Mark der oberen Brustwirbel. Bei Ende der Bestrahlung hatten sich die neurologischen Symptome teilweise gebessert. Die beschriebene Behandlungsweise wird im Zusammenhang mit Daten aus der Literatur diskutiert. (orig.)Journal
Strahlentherapie; ISSN 0039-2073; 
; v. 157(6); p. 365-370
; v. 157(6); p. 365-370
[en] Patients diagnosed as having Hodgkin's lymphoma with large intrathoracic masses are nowadays generally treated with a combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. This approach is usually indicated for more advanced stages and for cases with extranodal extension and presentation. However, the same policy is often implemented even in patients with early stage disease whenever they present with voluminous mediastinal and/or hilar masses. Especially in young persons, this approach to treatment has life-long lasting repercussions on both their general health and social fulfillment. In this article, an alternative approach is suggested. It consists of protracted, high-dose radiation therapy to the large tumor masses using the shrinking field technique and with a dose in the range of 50 to60 Gy delievered over an approximately 3-month period. This proposition is based on the author's clinical experience and is documented in the article. (orig.)
[de]
In the Regel werden heutzutage grosse intrathorakale Tumoren in Hodgkin-Lymphom-Patienten mit einer Kombination von Chemotherapie und Bestrahlung behandelt. Obwohl diese Behandlung im allgemeinen fuer fortgeschrittene Faelle und Invasion ausserhalb der Lymphknoten angebracht ist, wird sich auch in vielen Instituten fuer Fruehstadien mit grossen Tumoren in Mediastinum und/oder Lungenhilus verwendet mit lebenslagen Folgen fuer allgemein- und soziales Wohlergehenbesonders in jungen Patienten. Auf Grund seiner klinischen Erfahrungen schlaegt der Autor in dieser Arbeit eine Alternative vor in der Form von langzeitlicher, hochdosierter Strahlentherapie grosser Tumoren mit 50 bis 60 Gy ueber ungefaehr 3 Monate durch eine Technik des kleiner werdenden Bestrahlungsfeldes. (orig.)Journal
[en] Progressive tendencies in curative radiation therapy approach in the treatment of bronchogenic carcinoma will generally prolong a treatment course and modify the manifestation of radiation pneumonitis. There will probably be a tendency for an earlier onset of its acute phase, especially if the irradiated lung was atelectatic with or without post-obstructive pneumonia or if there were changes of chronic pulmonary disease. A peracute of radiation pneumonitis after a tumor dose of 6400 cGy in 29 fractions over 48 days starting within one week after the completion of irradiation is documented and discussed. Literature dealing with clinical, pathological, pathophysiological, and radiographic manifestations of radiation pneumonitis is shortly reviewed. Usage of corticosteroid therapy in the acute phase of radiation pneumonitis is described and controversial reports on this subject are mentioned. Beneficial effect of dexamethasone in the presented case is demonstrated on sequential radiograms. (orig.)
[de]
Progressive Tendenzen bei Inangriffnahme der kurativen Strahlentherapie zur Behandlung des Bronchialkarzinoms fuehren im allgemeinen zur Verlaengerung eines Behandlungsabschnittes, aber modifizieren das Auftreten der Strahlenpneumonitis. Wahrscheinlich besteht dabei eine Neigung zu frueherem Beginn der akuten Phase, vor allem, wenn die bestrahlte Lunge atelektatisch war, mit oder ohne postobstruktive Pneumonie, oder wenn sich bei einer chronischen Lungenerkrankung die Lage aenderte. Die hier dokumentierte und diskutierte Phase einer Strahlenpneumonitis folgte einer Tumordosis von 6400 cGy in 29 Fraktionen ueber 48 Tage und begann innerhalb einer Woche nach Ende der Bestrahlung. Es wird eine kurze Literaturuebersicht gebracht, die klinische, pathologische, pathophysiologische und im Roentgenbild sichtbare Manifestationen der Strahlenpneumonitis umfasst. Die Anwendung der Corticosteroidtherapie waehrend der akuten Phase der Strahlenpneumonitis wird beschrieben und auf widerspruechliche Berichte hingewiesen, die sich mit diesem Gegenstand befassen. Eine Reihe von Roentgenaufnahmen zeigt die guenstige Wirkung von Dexamethason im vorgestellten Fall. (orig.)Journal
Strahlentherapie; ISSN 0039-2073; ; v. 158(1); p. 23-29
; v. 158(1); p. 23-29
[en] Fraction size in radiotherapy of malignant melanoma remains a point of controversy. Among 139 patients treated at the University of Illinois Hospital in 1979-1988, 36 were considered potentially curable (not counting ocular melanomas); 20 were treated by the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) hypofractionated schedule using 800 cGy per fraction and achieved a permanency of local control lasting > 6 months since the beginning of radiotherapy in 10/22 (45.5%) courses. Comparable results were obtained in 11 patients treated by standard fractionation to at least threshold curative levels. A modification of PMH regimen in 5 patients (but with 13 courses) by decreasing fraction size to 400 cGy while keeping total dose and course duration unchanged, resulted in a 100% loss of focal control within 6 months. Patients considered incurable and irradiated by PMH schedule responded in 83% of courses compared to 51.4% response rate in patients irradiated with other schedules (except) modified PMH regimen). Other aspects of melanoma management are analyzed. (author) 12 tabs., 3 figs., 32 refs
Journal
[en] Rare and unusual features of malignant tumors are spontaneous tumor regression and tumor maturation. An even more unusual pattern is the ''reactive'' mass formation produced by fibrous tissue proliferation and inflammation following radiotherapy and simulating tumor recurrence, like in the following case of pulmonary carcinoid. Radiological and pathological documentations are presented and discussed. (orig.)
Journal
Radiologe; ISSN 0033-832X; ; v. 24(3); p. 116-120
; v. 24(3); p. 116-120
[en] The Liquid Argon Purity Demonstrator was an R and D test stand designed to determine if electron drift lifetimes adequate for large neutrino detectors could be achieved without first evacuating the cryostat. We describe here the cryogenic system, its operations, and the apparatus used to determine the contaminant levels in the argon and to measure the electron drift lifetime. The liquid purity obtained by this system was facilitated by a gaseous argon purge. Additionally, gaseous impurities from the ullage were prevented from entering the liquid at the gas-liquid interface by condensing the gas and filtering the resulting liquid before returning to the cryostat. The measured electron drift lifetime in this test was greater than 6 ms, sustained over several periods of many weeks. Measurements of the temperature profile in the argon, to assess convective flow and boiling, were also made and are compared to simulation
Journal
Journal of Instrumentation; ISSN 1748-0221; ; v. 9(07); p. P07005
; v. 9(07); p. P07005
[en] With the observation of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, interest has risen in models of PeV-mass decaying dark matter particles to explain the observed flux. We present two dedicated experimental analyses to test this hypothesis. One analysis uses 6 years of IceCube data focusing on muon neutrino 'track' events from the Northern Hemisphere, while the second analysis uses 2 years of 'cascade' events from the full sky. Known background components and the hypothetical flux from unstable dark matter are fitted to the experimental data. Since no significant excess is observed in either analysis, lower limits on the lifetime of dark matter particles are derived: we obtain the strongest constraint to date, excluding lifetimes shorter than 1028 s at 90% CL for dark matter masses above 10 TeV. (orig.)
Journal
European Physical Journal. C, Particles and Fields (Online); ISSN 1434-6052; ; v. 78(10); p. 1-9
; v. 78(10); p. 1-9