title: Evidence-based review: quality of life following head and neck intensity-modulated radiotherapy.
abstract: Inverse planned Intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) can minimize the dose to normal structures and therefore can reduce long-term radiotherapy-related morbidity and may improve patients' long-term quality of life. Despite overwhelming evidence that IMRT can reduce late functional deficits in patients with head and neck cancer, treated with radiotherapy, a review of the published literature produced conflicting results with regard to quality of life outcomes. Following a critical appraisal of the literature, reasons for the discrepant outcomes are proposed.
authors.affiliation: Gray Institute for Radiation Oncology and Biology, University of Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scott-Brown
authors.forename: Aisha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miah
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harrington
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nutting
mesh_terms: D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D011788:Quality of Life; D050397:Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated; D016896:Treatment Outcome