Brachial plexopathy after chemoradiotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate late brachial plexopathy after primary chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.


METHODS
Consecutive 43 disease-free patients were evaluated by a specifically developed 26-item questionnaire. Retrospectively, the brachial plexus was delineated and the dose-volume histograms were calculated.


RESULTS
After a median follow-up of 24 months, no radiation-induced brachial plexopathy was reported in these 43 patients.


CONCLUSIONS
No radiation-induced brachial plexopathy was seen in the patient group, although 72.1% of the brachial plexuses received doses > 60 Gy. These findings should prompt further prospective studies and also stress the importance of trying to keep the doses to the brachial plexus as low as possible while covering the target volumes well.
Platteaux
Nele
N
Department of Radiation Oncology, Leuvens Kankerinstituut, University Hospitals Leuven, Campus Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium. neleplatteaux@yahoo.com
Dirix
Piet
P
Hermans
Robert
R
Nuyts
Sandra
S
D020516:Brachial Plexus Neuropathies / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
Strahlenther Onkol. 2008 Aug;184(8):400-5
18956516
J Clin Oncol. 2007 Mar 10;25(8):1009-13
17350951
Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2008 Dec 1;72(5):1362-7
18448267
Radiographics. 2000 Jul-Aug;20(4):1023-32
10903692
Strahlenther Onkol. 2008 Apr;184(4):198-205
18398584
Lancet Oncol. 2008 Apr;9(4):367-75
18374290
Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 1992;23(5):915-23
1639653
Strahlenther Onkol. 2009 Oct;185(10):682-8
19806334
Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 1991 May 15;21(1):109-22
2032882
Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2009 Mar 15;73(4):1088-95
18707823
Lancet. 2006 Sep 2;368(9538):843-54
16950362
Lancet. 2000 Mar 18;355(9208):949-55
10768432
Strahlenther Onkol. 2004 Oct;180(10):650-4
15480514
Strahlenther Onkol. 2007 Sep;183(9):497-505
17762924
AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 1996 Nov-Dec;17(10):1932-6
8933882
Acta Oncol. 2000;39(3):373-82
10987234
Muscle Nerve. 2004 Nov;30(5):547-68
15452843
Eur J Cancer. 2005 May;41(8):1135-9
15911236
Folia Neuropathol. 2007;45(1):26-30
17357008
Semin Neurol. 2004 Dec;24(4):385-93
15637650
Clin Radiol. 2009 Feb;64(2):208-18
19103352
Top Magn Reson Imaging. 2004 Apr;15(2):113-25
15269614
Am J Clin Oncol. 2004 Feb;27(1):1-7
14758125
J Clin Oncol. 2008 Jul 20;26(21):3582-9
18559875
Strahlenther Onkol. 1995 Mar;171(3):140-8
7535952
Strahlenther Onkol. 2009 Dec;185(12):775-81
20013086
Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 1993 Apr 30;26(1):43-9
8387067
Strahlenther Onkol. 2009 Oct;185(10):675-81
19806333