title: Guidelines for delineation of lymphatic clinical target volumes for high conformal radiotherapy: head and neck region.
abstract: The success of radiotherapy depends on the accurate delineation of the clinical target volume. The delineation of the lymph node regions has most impact, especially for tumors in the head and neck region. The purpose of this article was the development an atlas for the delineation of the clinical target volume for patients, who should receive radiotherapy for a tumor of the head and neck region. Literature was reviewed for localisations of the adjacent lymph node regions and their lymph drain in dependence of the tumor entity. On this basis the lymph node regions were contoured on transversal CT slices. The probability for involvement was reviewed and a recommendation for the delineation of the CTV was generated.
authors.affiliation: Radiotherapy and Radiooncology, University Hospital Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Str, 40, 37073 Göttingen, Germany. h.vorwerk@med.uni-goettingen.de
authors.forename: Hilke
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vorwerk
authors.forename: Clemens F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Hess
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000532:radiotherapy; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000379:methods; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D020266:Radiotherapy, Conformal / Q000379:methods*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods