Carotid Sparing Conformal Radiotherapy for Early Larynx Cancer

Parallel opposed lateral (POL) portals have been adopted as the mainstay radiation therapy technique for early-stage carcinoma of the glottis. Although the use of POL has been associated with excellent control rates and tolerability, the partial inclusion of carotid arteries (CAs) in the high dose regions of the fields has been shown to lead to an increased long-term risk of carotid stenosis and hemorrhagic stroke. Many researchers have proposed the utilization of three-dimension conformal therapy (3DCRT) or Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) as viable carotid-sparing techniques via reductions to the mean and maximum doses received by the carotid arteries during a course of therapy.
Source: International Journal of Radiation Oncology * Biology * Physics - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Toxicity, Quality of Life, Survivorship, Costs of Care Source Type: research