title: Implications of radiation dosimetry of the mandible in patients with carcinomas of the oral cavity and nasopharynx treated with intensity modulated radiation therapy.
abstract: Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is a newer method of delivering highly conformal, salivary gland sparing radiation treatment that is finding increasing applications in head and neck malignancies. However, the radiation dose distribution to the mandible is rarely considered with IMRT, and the potential risks of osteoradionecrosis or osseointegrated implant failure are not well characterized for this modality. In a series of 10 patients with oral cavity and nasopharyngeal cancers who previously underwent IMRT, examination of the three-dimensional mandibular dose distribution was undertaken. The findings indicate a modest potential risk of osteoradionecrosis and osseointegrated implant failure in cases where IMRT optimization constraints are not specifically aimed at sparing the mandibular bone. Significantly higher mandibular doses (P < 0.04) were received in cases of oral cavity as opposed to nasopharyngeal cancers with IMRT. Efforts to optimize IMRT to further reduce doses to the mandible should be considered, and development of software tools to integrate three-dimensional dose distributions into planning of post-radiotherapy osseointegration would be beneficial.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, Alta., Canada T6G 1Z2. matthewp@cancerboard.ab.ca
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parliament
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alidrisi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Munroe
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wolfaardt
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scrimger
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Field
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kurien
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hanson
mesh_terms: D002277:Carcinoma / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D015921:Dental Implants; D005123:Eye / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008334:Mandible / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008336:Mandibular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D016348:Osseointegration / Q000528:radiation effects; D010025:Osteoradionecrosis / Q000209:etiology; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000528:radiation effects; D011874:Radiometry; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted; D020266:Radiotherapy, Conformal / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000528:radiation effects; D013363:Submandibular Gland / Q000528:radiation effects
chemical_list: D015921:Dental Implants