Purpose: To describe a novel use of high-dose-rate intravascular brachytherapy in the first reported case of macroscopic metastatic rectal adenocarcinoma within a peripheral vein.
Methods and materials: Following thrombolytic therapy to ablate an overlying venous thrombosis, a vascular stent was deployed across the entire length of the tumor. Using the stent as a target, 4300 cGy was delivered to the tumor via megavoltage external beam radiation. This was followed by two weekly intravascular high-dose-rate 192Ir brachytherapy applications of 400 cGy each.
Results: There is no evidence of recurrence in the treated vein at 43 months of follow-up.
Conclusions: In this unique case, a combination of external beam radiation therapy and intravascular brachytherapy provided effective control of a solitary intravascular metastasis from rectal carcinoma.