To improve locoregional tumor control and survival in patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer (HNC), therapy is intensified using altered fractionation radiation therapy or concomitant chemotherapy. However, intensification of therapy has been associated with increased acute and late toxic effects. The application of advanced radiation techniques, such as 3D conformal radiation therapy and intensity-modulated radiation therapy, is expected to improve the therapeutic index of radiation therapy for HNC by limiting the dose to critical organs and possibly increasing locoregional tumor control. To date, Review articles have covered the prevention and treatment of radiation-induced xerostomia and dysphagia, but few articles have discussed the prevention of hearing loss, brain necrosis, cranial nerve palsy and osteoradionecrosis of the mandible, which are all potential complications of radiation therapy for HNC. This Review describes the efforts to prevent therapy-related complications by presenting the state of the art evidence regarding advanced radiation therapy technology as an organ-sparing approach.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrclinonc.2011.106 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Patient perspective: Is intensive screening of women at high risk of breast cancer evidence-based medicine or ?
Womens Health (Lond)
January 2025
Department of Pharmacy Practice, Midwestern University College of Pharmacy, Glendale Campus, Glendale, AZ, USA.
In 2023, a breast cancer risk assessment and a subsequent positive test for the BRCA-2 genetic mutation brought me to the uncomfortable intersection of a longstanding career as an advocate for high-quality medical evidence to support shared patient-provider decision making and a new role as a high-risk patient. My search for studies of available risk-management options revealed that the most commonly recommended approach for women with a ⩾20% lifetime breast cancer risk, intensive screening including annual mammography and/or magnetic resonance imaging beginning at age 25-40 years, was supported only by cancer-detection statistics, with almost no evidence on patient-centered outcomes-mortality, physical and psychological morbidity, or quality of life-compared with standard screening or a surgical alternative, bilateral risk-reducing mastectomy. In this commentary, I explore parallels between the use of the intensive screening protocol and another longstanding women's health recommendation based on limited evidence, the use of hormone therapy (HT) for postmenopausal chronic disease prevention, which was sharply curtailed after the publication of the groundbreaking Women's Health Initiative trial in 2002.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFReevaluating Anti-Inflammatory Therapy: Targeting Senescence to Balance Anti-Cancer Efficacy and Vascular Disease.
Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol
January 2025
Department of Cardiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston. (B.C.-C., N.A.V.G., N.L.P., L.P.E., V.S.K.S., A.M.O., J.L., G.M., O.H., A.D., S.W.Y., C.A.I., K.C.O.M., S. Kotla, J.-i.A.).
Modulating immune function is a critical strategy in cancer and atherosclerosis treatments. For cancer, boosting or maintaining the immune system is crucial to prevent tumor growth. However, in vascular disease, mitigating immune responses can decrease inflammation and slow atherosclerosis progression.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe role of stereotactic magnetic resonance-guided adaptive radiation therapy (SMART) in locally advanced and borderline resectable pancreatic cancer.
Ann Transl Med
December 2024
Department of Clinical Oncology, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK.
Development of a nomogram for overall survival in patients with esophageal carcinoma: A prospective cohort study in China.
World J Gastrointest Oncol
January 2025
Chongqing Cancer Multi-omics Big Data Application Engineering Research Center, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing 400030, China.
Background: Esophageal carcinoma (EC) presents a significant public health issue in China, with its prognosis impacted by myriad factors. The creation of a reliable prognostic model for the overall survival (OS) of EC patients promises to greatly advance the customization of treatment approaches.
Aim: To create a more systematic and practical model that incorporates clinically significant indicators to support decision-making in clinical settings.
Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma treatment strategies: Are transarterial approaches leading the way?
World J Gastrointest Oncol
January 2025
Department of General and Pediatric Surgery, Bolzano Central Hospital - SABES, Bolzano 39100, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, with advanced stages posing significant treatment challenges. Although hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) has emerged as a promising modality for treating advanced HCC, particularly in Asian clinical practice, its adoption in Western medicine remains limited due to a lack of large-scale randomized controlled trials. This editorial reviews and comments on the meta-analysis conducted by Zhou , which evaluates the efficacy and safety of HAIC and its combination strategies for advanced HCC.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!