The application of a radiotherapy-planning system: consideration from a case of intraoral squamous cell carcinoma that lacked a control.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this case study was to present an applied example of a radiotherapy-planning system used during the treatment of a malignant tumor in the oral and maxillofacial region.


METHODS
The various radiotherapy modalities were performed on a patient with oral squamous cell carcinoma of multiple metachronous recurrences. Estimated radiation dose-distribution curves for each radiotherapy modality were computed by using a commercially available radiotherapy-planning system. A personal computer was used to make the superimposed radiation dose-distribution curve.


RESULTS
The 3-dimensional dose-distribution curves were determined with the radiotherapy-planning system. In addition, with the use of superimposition of the dose-distribution curves from all sources of radiotherapy, it was possible to estimate regions receiving extremely high radiation dosages. This information serves as a road map to potential postradiation complication sites at follow-up examinations.


CONCLUSIONS
The radiotherapy-planning system is very useful for the evaluation of a radiotherapy dosage to treat malignant tumors in the oral and maxillofacial region.
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Kanagawa Dental College, 82 Inaoka, Yokosuka, Kanagawa 238-8580, Japan. sakurait@kdcnet.ac.jp
Takashi
T
Sakurai
Masafumi
M
Inagaki
Eiko
E
Shinohara
Isamu
I
Kashima
Yuuichi
Y
Sasakura
Junichi
J
Shindo
D001918:Brachytherapy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted