Impact of intraoral stent on the side effects of radiotherapy for oral cancer.
BACKGROUND
The intraoral stent is a mouth-opening device which may be used during head and neck cancer radiotherapy with the intention of preventing unnecessary irradiation in normal adjacent tissue. The use of this device during intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) has not been reported in the literature.


METHODS
A 30-year-old woman with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue was submitted to a CT for IMRT treatment planning with and without the use of the intraoral stent.


RESULTS
Dosimetric analysis showed that the irradiation dose to the maxilla, both parotid glands, and left submandibular gland decreased with the use of this device.


CONCLUSIONS
This article shows that intraoral stents seem to be useful in decreasing the radiation dose to healthy structures, especially in bone structures and salivary glands during radiotherapy, and emphasizes the importance of a multidisciplinary team during oncological therapy.
Stomatology Department - Cancer Hospital A.C Camargo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Juliana Rocha
JR
Verrone
Fábio de Abreu
Fde A
Alves
José Divaldo
JD
Prado
Karina Waiswol
KW
Boccaletti
Milena Priscila
MP
Sereno
Maria Letícia Gobo
ML
Silva
Graziella Chagas
GC
Jaguar
D000328:Adult; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008437:Maxilla / Q000528:radiation effects; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000528:radiation effects; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D050397:Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated / Q000379:methods*; D015607:Stents; D013363:Submandibular Gland / Q000528:radiation effects; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000532:radiotherapy*