Initial clinical experience with helical tomotherapy for head and neck cancer.

Background: To report a single-institutional experience with the use of helical tomotherapy (HT)-based intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for head and neck cancer.

Methods: Seventy-seven consecutive patients were treated with HT for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck to a median dose of 66 Gy (range, 60 to 72 Gy). Megavoltage CT scans were obtained as part of an image-guided registration protocol for patient alignment before each treatment. Concurrent chemotherapy was administered to 48 patients (62%).

Results: The 2-year estimates of overall survival, local-regional control, and disease-free survival were 82%, 77%, and 71%, respectively. Spatial evaluation of local-regional failures revealed that 16 of the 18 patients who progressed in the primary site or neck failed in the high-dose planning target volume (PTV).

Conclusions: HT appears to achieve clinical outcomes comparable to contemporary series reporting on IMRT for head and neck cancer.