The Role of Botulinum Toxin Type A in the Radiation Fibrosis Syndrome: A Preliminary Report
Abstract
Stubblefield MD, Levine A, Custodio CM, Fitzpatrick T. The role of botulinum toxin type A in the radiation fibrosis syndrome: a preliminary report.
Objective
To describe the use of botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) in radiation fibrosis syndrome (RFS).
Design
Retrospective case series.
Setting
A large tertiary care cancer center.
Participants
Twenty-three consecutive patients treated for sequelae of RFS with BTX-A.
Interventions
Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measures
A description of the components of RFS thought to benefit from BTX-A injections and the patient’s self-report of benefit from those injections.
Results
The sequelae of RFS for which BTX-A injection was thought to be indicated include radiation-induced cervical dystonia in 18 (78%), trigeminal nerve or cervical plexus neuralgia in 10 (43%), trismus in 7 (30%), migraine in 3 (13%), and thoracic pain in 1 (4%) patient. Most (87%) patients self-reported benefit from the injections.
Conclusions
Initial clinical experience with the use of BTX-A as adjunctive treatment for select neuromuscular and musculoskeletal complications of RFS in a variety of cancer patients has been encouraging. Well-designed prospective studies are needed to clarify the potential beneficial role of BTX-A in specific sequelae of RFS.
aDepartment of Neurology, Rehabilitation Medicine Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
bDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY.
Reprint requests to Michael D. Stubblefield, MD, Rehabilitation Medicine Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Box 349, 1275 York Ave, New York City, NY 10021
No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit upon the authors or upon any organization with which the authors are associated.
ABSTRACT