Definitive radiotherapy in the management of paragangliomas arising in the head and neck: a 35-year experience.
BACKGROUND
An evaluation of the treatment results for 104 patients with 121 paragangliomas of the temporal bone, carotid body, and/or glomus vagale who were treated with radiation therapy (RT) at the University of Florida between 1968 and 2004.


METHODS
Eighty-nine paragangliomas (86%) were treated with conventional megavoltage techniques, 15 (14%) patients with stereotactic fractionated radiation therapy, 6 (6%) patients with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), and 11 (11%) patients with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).


RESULTS
There were 6 local recurrences. One recurrence was salvaged with additional RT. The actuarial local control and cause-specific survival rates at 10 years were 94% and 95%. The overall local control rate for all 121 lesions was 95%; the ultimate local control rate was 96%. The incidence of treatment-related complications was low.


CONCLUSIONS
Fractionated RT offers a high probability of tumor control with minimal risks for patients with paragangliomas of the temporal bone and neck.
Hinerman
Russell W
RW
Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida 32610-0385, USA. hinerrw@shands.ufl.edu
Amdur
Robert J
RJ
Morris
Christopher G
CG
Kirwan
Jessica
J
Mendenhall
William M
WM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001016:Aortic Bodies / Q000528:radiation effects; D002344:Carotid Body / Q000528:radiation effects; D019583:Dose Fractionation, Radiation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D010236:Paraganglioma, Extra-Adrenal / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D016634:Radiosurgery / Q000379:methods; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000379:methods; D020266:Radiotherapy, Conformal / Q000379:methods; D050397:Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000528:radiation effects; D016896:Treatment Outcome