[HARDROCK project: parametric data collection and analysis of patients with head and neck cancer in the comprehensive cancer centre of Ostrava - role of fractionation and target volume definition in radiotherapy].

Background: The HARDROCK project has been designed as a retrospective data collection study in a locally run database system, which fulfils the requirements on the basic version of electronic medical records of cancer patients. The diagnostic category of head and neck tumors has been selected on purpose, as it presents a major problem in the Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Ostrava, and it is relevant given the high incidence and mortality in the Moravian-Silesian Region. The target parameters of the assessment include short-term as well as long-term treatment results in patients with head and neck tumors, evaluated with standard indicators of treatment response and survival. A special emphasis is put on major treatment modalities, i.e. surgery and radiation therapy, and on related complications.

Patients And Methods: In this article, we present a sample of collected data. The data from patients has been separated into two groups based on the time of their acquisition: data from patients treated in 2004-2005 versus patients treated in 2006-2010. This division was given by the change of treatment protocols in 2006 introducing accelerated radiotherapy with concomitant boost and expanded lymph node irradiation field compared to normofractionation and hyperfractionation regimes used before 2006.

Results: Introduction of new irradiation techniques did not increase the rate of acute toxicity but slightly increased late toxicity. Further, we found a decrease of number of relapse and improved overall survival in patients with stage IV disease treated in 2006-2010.

Conclusion: The project results will contribute methodically to the exact evaluation of diagnostics and treatment of patients with head and neck cancer and will help to optimize their medical care.