title: Proton therapy for head and neck malignancies at Tsukuba.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of proton therapy for head and neck cancers.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 1983 to 2000, 33 patients with head and neck malignancies but no history of surgical resection were treated with 250-MeV protons with or without X-ray irradiation. This study retrospectively evaluated local control, survival, and treatment sequelae of these patients. The median total target dose using protons with or without X-rays was 76 Gy (range: 42-99 Gy) and the median proton dose per fraction 2.8 Gy (range: 1.5-6.0 Gy).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall 5-year survival and local control rates were 44% and 74%, respectively. One (3%) and six patients (18%) suffered from treatment-related acute and late toxicity > grade 3 (RTOG/EORTC acute and late radiation morbidity scoring criteria). One patient with a history of radiotherapy suffered from acute toxicity > grade 3.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Proton therapy appeared to offer high local control rates with few toxicities relative to conventional radiotherapy. However, late toxicity was seen in areas where large radiation doses had been given.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Tsukuba Hospital, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan, ktokuue@pmrc.tsukuba.ac.jp
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tokuuye
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Akine
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kagei
authors.forename: Masaharu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hata
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mizumoto
authors.forename: Yoshiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohshiro
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sugahara
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohara
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okumura
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kusakari
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Fujio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Otsuka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D019583:Dose Fractionation, Radiation; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010039:Otorhinolaryngologic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D061766:Proton Therapy; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000209:etiology; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014964:X-Ray Therapy; D011522:Protons
chemical_list: D011522:Protons