Evolution and Dosimetric Analysis of Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Detected Brain Stem Injury After Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

Purpose: To evaluate the evolution of radiation-induced brain stem injury (BSI) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and to identify the critical dosimetric predictors of BSI.

Methods And Materials: A total of 6288 NPC patients treated with IMRT between 2009 and 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Among these 6288 patients, 24 had radiation-induced BSI, which manifested as edematous lesions and contrast-enhanced lesions (CLs) on magnetic resonance imaging.

Incidence and dosimetric parameters for brainstem necrosis following intensity modulated radiation therapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Objectives: To clarify the incidence of brainstem toxicity and perform a dose-volume analysis for the brainstem after long-term follow-up of a large cohort of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients who underwent intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).

Materials And Methods: All patients with NPC treated with IMRT at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center between April 2009 and March 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 1544 patients with follow-up >12months and detailed treatment plan data were included.

Critical Evaluation of the Quality and Recommendations of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

Given the distinct biological characteristics and regional distribution of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) compared with other head and neck cancers, and uncertainties regarding therapeutic strategies, physicians require high-quality clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) to provide transparent recommendations for NPC treatment. This study aimed to critically appraise the quality of NPC CPGs and assess the consistency of their recommendations. We identified CPGs that provided recommendations on the diagnosis and management of NPC published up to December 2015.