title: Intensity-modulated radiation therapy and xerostomia.
abstract: Conformal radiation with intensity-modulated radiation therapy, IMRT, is a radiation technique that potentially can minimize the dose to salivary glands and thereby decrease the incidence of xerostomia. Precise target determination and delineation is most important when using salivary gland-sparing techniques of IMRT. The reduction of xerostomia may be achieved by sparing the salivary glands on the noninvolved oral cavity and keeping the mean parotid gland dose of < 26-30 Gy if the treatment of disease is not compromised and parotid function preservation is desired.
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Chambers
authors.forename: Randal S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Adam S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Garden
mesh_terms: D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000528:radiation effects; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D020266:Radiotherapy, Conformal / Q000379:methods; D050397:Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated / Q000379:methods*; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000528:radiation effects; D012472:Salivation / Q000528:radiation effects; D012636:Secretory Rate / Q000528:radiation effects; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000517:prevention & control*