Patterns of failure and toxicity after intensity-modulated radiotherapy for head and neck cancer.

PURPOSE: To determine the outcome of patients treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for head and neck cancer. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We reviewed the charts of 100 consecutive patients treated with IMRT for squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx (64%), nasopharynx (16%), hypopharynx (14%), and larynx (6%). Most patients were treated with a concomitant boost schedule to 72 Gy. Of the 100 patients, 54 (54%) received adjuvant chemotherapy, mostly concurrent cisplatin. The dosimetry plans for patients with either locoregional failure or Grade 4-5 complications were reviewed and fused over the computed tomography images corresponding with the location of the event. Marginal failures were defined as those that occurred at a region of high-dose falloff, where conventional fields would have provided better coverage. RESULTS: The median follow-up of living patients was 3.1 years (range, 1-5.2 years). The 3-year rate of local control, locoregional control, freedom from relapse, cause-specific survival, and overall survival for all patients was 89%, 87%, 72%, 78%, and 71%, respectively. The 3-year rate of freedom from relapse, cause-specific survival, and overall survival for the 64 oropharynx patients was 86%, 92%, and 84%, respectively. Of the 10 local failures, 2 occurred at the margin of the high-dose planning target volume. Both regional failures occurred within the planning target volume. No locoregional failures occurred outside the planning target volume. Of the 100 patients, 8 and 5 had Grade 4 and 5 complications from treatment, respectively. All patients with Grade 5 complications had received adjuvant chemotherapy. No attempt was made to discriminate between the complications from IMRT and other aspects of the patients' treatment. CONCLUSION: Intensity-modulated radiotherapy did not compromise the outcome compared with what we have achieved with conventional techniques. The 2 cases of recurrence in the high-dose gradient region highlight the potential hazard of approaches that involve highly conformal dose distributions.

Low-dose prophylactic craniospinal radiotherapy for intracranial germinoma.

PURPOSE: To report outcomes of patients with localized intracranial germinoma treated with low-dose craniospinal irradiation (CSI) followed by a boost to the ventricular system and primary site. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Thirty-one patients had pathologically confirmed intracranial germinoma and no spine metastases. Low-dose CSI was administered in 29 patients: usually 21 Gy of CSI, 9.0 Gy of ventricular boost, and a 19.5-Gy tumor boost, all at 1.5 Gy per fraction. Our neuroradiologist recorded three-dimensional tumor size on magnetic resonance images before, during, and after radiotherapy. RESULTS: With a median follow-up of 7.0 years, 29 of 31 patients (94%) are disease free. One failure had nongerminomatous histology; the initial diagnosis was a sampling error. Of 3 patients who did not receive CSI, 1 died. No patient developed myelopathy, visual deficits, dementia, or skeletal growth problems. In locally controlled patients, tumor response according to magnetic resonance scan was nearly complete within 6 months after radiotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Radiotherapy alone with low-dose prophylactic CSI cures almost all patients with localized intracranial germinoma. Complications are rare when the daily dose of radiotherapy is limited to 1.5 Gy and the total CSI dose to 21 Gy. Patients without a near-complete response to radiotherapy should undergo resection to rule out a nongerminomatous element.