title: Current radiotherapic procedures and preservation of salivary function in patients with head and neck cancer.
abstract: Head and neck tumours have poor prognosis: with surgery and radiotherapy, local control is achieved but is associated with damage to speech and swallowing function. Conventional 2-D radiotherapy is based on one fraction of 1.8-2.0 Gy per day; increasing the number of fractions, a higher dose can be administered, with an increase in local control. Today, conventional treatment can be replaced by new techniques: with 3-D Conformal Radiotherapy, higher doses of radiation can be delivered to cancer cells while reducing the amount of radiation received by surrounding healthy tissues: Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy permits an irregular dose distribution that conforms exactly to the volume of the target, increasing local tumour control and survival and decreasing radiation-induced side-effects.
authors.affiliation: Oncological Radiotherapy, Department of Radiology, Umberto I Polyclinic, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Donato
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bulzonetti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Monaco
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Messineo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Caiazzo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Banelli
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D011379:Prognosis; D011788:Quality of Life; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D020266:Radiotherapy, Conformal; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control