Xerostomia-related quality of life for patients with oropharyngeal carcinoma treated with proton therapy

Proton therapy has an important role in the management of head and neck cancer, where the dosimetric characteristics of proton particles are advantageous for treating tumors in complex anatomic areas. In addition to highly targeted dose depositions owing to the Bragg peak and superior lateral dose distribution of proton therapy, the introduction of spot-scanning techniques that allow intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) further improve dose distributions and normal-tissue sparing relative to intensity-modulated (photon) radiation therapy (IMRT), a finding that has been validated in case-matched analyses showing lower doses to the oral cavity, palate, larynx, mandible, and esophagus [1].

Source: Radiotherapy and Oncology - August 16, 2019 Category: Radiology Authors: Alexander F. Bagley, Rong Ye, Adam S. Garden, Gary Brandon Gunn, David I. Rosenthal, Clifton David Fuller, William H. Morrison, Jack Phan, Erich M. Sturgis, Renata Ferrarotto, Richard Wu, Amy Y. Liu, Steven J. Frank Tags: Original Article Source Type: research