Abstract:
We would like to assess the effectiveness of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) or image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) to decrease the risk of osteoradionecrosis in locally advanced head and neck cancer. We conducted a retrospective study of 83 patients with head and neck cancer undergoing concurrent definitive chemoradiation, post-operative radiotherapy or chemoradiation, or radiotherapy alone with IMRT or IGRT. Mean mandibular dose was, respectively, 43.6Gy and 43.8Gy for the IMRT and IGRT technique. At a median follow-up of 28 months (5-55 months), only one patient developed osteoradionecrosis requiring hyperbaric oxygen. Sharp dose falloff associated with IMRT and IGRT decreased excessive radiation of the mandible and may reduce the risks of osteoradionecrosis.
Nguyen, Vock, Chi, Ewell, Vos, Mills, Khan, Almeida, (2012). Effectiveness of intensity-modulated and image-guided radiotherapy to spare the mandible from excessive radiation. Oral oncology, 2012 Jul;48(7):653-7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22341305