Onkologie. 2021:15(2):58-62 | DOI: 10.36290/xon.2021.011

Current options of re-irradiation in head and neck cancer

Michaela Švajdová^{1, 2}, Pavol Dubinský^{3, 4}, Pavel Šlampa⁵, Tomáš Kazda⁵

¹ Klinika radiačnej a klinickej onkológie Ústrednej vojenskej nemocnice Ružomberok

² Klinika radiační onkologie, Lékařská fakulta Masarykovy univerzity, Brno

³ Oddelenie radiačnej onkológie, Východoslovenský onkologický ústav, a.s, Košice

⁴ Fakulta zdravotníctva, Katolícka Univerzita, Ružomberok

⁵ Klinika radiační onkologie, Masarykův onkologický ústav, Brno

Recurrent head and neck malignancies represent a therapeutic challenge for the entire multidisciplinary team of specialists; head and neck surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists as well as nutritionists and psychologists. Treatment options in this clinical scenario are often strictly limited and it is necessary to combine them in order to achieve optimal treatment results, albeit with an undoubtedly increased risk of cumulative toxicity associated with the therapy. With a careful patient selection, salvage surgery and re-irradiation both represent therapeutic interventions with curative potential. However, re-irradiation has long been associated with a considerable risk of severe treatment-related toxicity without a significant decline even in the era of modern techniques of conformal radiotherapy. The aim of this review is to introduce and summarize basic information related to the indication of a particular technique of external beam re-irradiation or brachytherapy and the recommended dose and fractionation. The article provides basic information about the expected risk of toxicity and a distinct toxicity profile which is unique for every technique of re-irradiation.

Keywords: re-irradiation, head and neck cancer, recurrence, toxicity, external beam radiotherapy, brachytherapy.

Published: April 29, 2021  Show citation