title: Image-guided radiotherapy for locally advanced head and neck cancer.
abstract: Treatment of locally advanced head and neck cancer remains a challenge because of the head and neck complex anatomy and the tumor invasion to the adjacent organs and/or metastases to the cervical nodes. Postoperative irradiation or concurrent chemoradiation may lead to damage of radiosensitive structures such as the salivary glands, mandible, cochlea, larynx, and pharyngeal muscles. Xerostomia, osteoradionecrosis, deafness, hoarseness of the voice, dysphagia, and aspiration remain serious complications of head and neck irradiation and impair patient quality of life. Intensity-modulated and image-guided radiotherapy by virtue of steep dose gradient and daily imaging may allow for decreased radiation of the organs at risk for complication while preserving loco-regional control.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Arizona , Tucson, AZ , USA.
authors.forename: Nam P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kratz
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lemanski
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vock
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vinh-Hung
authors.lastname: Olena Gorobets
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Betz
authors.forename: Rihan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Godinez
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Karlsson
authors.forename: Fred
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ampil
keywords: head and neck cancer; image-guided radiotherapy; preservation of radiosensitive organs