A feasibility study on adaptive F-FDG-PET-guided radiotherapy for recurrent and second primary head and neck cancer in the previously irradiated territory.

Purpose: To evaluate feasibility, disease control, survival, and toxicity after adaptive F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emisson tomography (PET) guided radiotherapy in patients with recurrent and second primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Methods: A prospective trial investigated the feasibility of adaptive intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) ± concomitant cetuximab in 10 patients. The primary endpoint was achieving a 2-year survival free of grade >3 toxicity in ≥30% of patients.

Late mucosal ulcers in dose-escalated adaptive dose-painting treatments for head-and-neck cancer.

Background: To identify predictive factors for the development of late grade 4 mucosal ulcers in adaptive dose-escalated treatments for head-and-neck cancer.

Material And Methods: Patient data of four dose-escalated three-phase adaptive dose-painting by numbers (DPBN) clinical trials were analyzed in this study. Correlations between the development of late grade 4 ulcers and factors related with the treatment, disease characteristics and the patient were investigated.

Recurrence patterns after a decreased dose of 40Gy to the elective treated neck in head and neck cancer.

Purpose: To investigate the patterns of regional recurrences with emphasis on recurrences in the electively irradiated lymph node regions after dose de-escalation to 40Gy (EQD2Gy) in head and neck cancer.

Methods And Materials: Two hundred thirty-three patients treated with radio(chemo)therapy using 40Gy (EQD2Gy) to the elective lymph node regions were included. All regional recurrences were reconstructed and projected on the initial radiotherapy planning Computed Tomography studies to identify the localization of recurrence.