Proton therapy for head and neck malignancies at Tsukuba.
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.
Tokuuye
Koichi
K
Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Tsukuba Hospital, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan, ktokuue@pmrc.tsukuba.ac.jp
Akine
Yasuyuki
Y
Kagei
Kenji
K
Hata
Masaharu
M
Hashimoto
Takayuki
T
Mizumoto
Takashi
T
Ohshiro
Yoshiko
Y
Sugahara
Shinji
S
Ohara
Kiyoshi
K
Okumura
Toshiyuki
T
Kusakari
Jun
J
Yoshida
Hiroshi
H
Otsuka
Fujio
F
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
D011522:Protons