The research status and prospect of previously-Irradiated recurrent head and neck carcinoma in radiation therapy / 中国医学装备

ABSTRACT

The treatment of recurrent head and neck cancers has improved from single modality interventions of surgery and radiation therapy alone to include combined modality therapy with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Combined therapy has led to improved local control and disease-free survival. New developments in radiation oncology such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy, brachytherapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy, have helped to improve this outlook even further. These recent advances allow for a higher dose to be delivered to the tumor while minimizing the dose delivered to the surrounding normal tissue. This article provides an update of the new developments in radiotherapy in the management of previously-irradiated recurrent head and neck carcinoma.