title: Treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: stereotactic radiosurgical boost following fractionated radiotherapy.
abstract: Treatment of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) using external beam radiation therapy (XRT) alone results in significant local recurrence. To improve local control, stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) was used to boost radiation to the primary tumor site following XRT in 23 patients with NPC. SRS was delivered utilizing a frame-based linear accelerator as a boost (range 7-15 Gy, median 12 Gy) following XRT (range 64.8- 70 Gy, median 66 Gy). In all 23 patients (100%) receiving SRS following XRT local control was achieved at a mean follow-up of 21 months (range 2-64 months). There have been no complications of treatment caused by SRS. However, 8 patients (35%) have subsequently developed regional or distant metastases. SRS boost following XRT provides excellent local control in NPC and should be considered for patients with skull base involvement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, CA 94305, USA. sdcl@leland.stanford.edu
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Tate
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Goffinet
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Adler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011874:Radiometry; D016634:Radiosurgery / Q000379:methods*; D013238:Stereotaxic Techniques; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents; D002945:Cisplatin