title: The potential of proton beam radiation therapy in head and neck cancer.
abstract: A group of Swedish oncologists and hospital physicists have estimated the number of patients in Sweden suitable for proton beam therapy. The estimations have been based on current statistics of tumour incidence, number of patients potentially eligible for radiation treatment, scientific support from clinical trials and model dose planning studies and knowledge of the dose-response relations of different tumours and normal tissues. In head and neck cancer, including thyroid cancer, it is assessed that at least 300 patients annually will gain sufficiently from proton beam therapy, both to improve tumour control and to decrease toxicity to compensate for the increased treatment costs using protons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, University Hospital, Lund, Sweden. anders.ask@onk.lu.se
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ask
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Björk-Eriksson
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zackrisson
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Blomquist
authors.forename: Bengt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Glimelius
mesh_terms: D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000191:economics / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D061766:Proton Therapy; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D013548:Sweden; D011522:Protons
chemical_list: D011522:Protons