James C H Chow, Jason C S Ho, Ka Man Cheung, David Johnson, Bonaventure Y M Ip, Jonathan J Beitler, Primož Strojan, Antti A Mäkitie, Avraham Eisbruch, Sweet Ping Ng, Sandra Nuyts, William M Mendenhall, Silvia Babighian, Alfio Ferlito
Radiotherapy is one of the mainstay treatment modalities for the management of non-metastatic head and neck cancer (HNC). Notable improvements in treatment outcomes have been observed in the recent decades. Modern radiotherapy techniques, such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy and charged particle therapy, have significantly improved tumor target conformity and enabled better preservation of normal structures. However, because of the intricate anatomy of the head and neck region, multiple critical neurological structures such as the brain, brainstem, spinal cord, cranial nerves, nerve plexuses, autonomic pathways, brain vasculature, and neurosensory organs, are variably irradiated during treatment, particularly when tumor targets are in close proximity...
March 2, 2024: Radiotherapy and Oncology