title: Particle therapy for mucosal melanoma of the head and neck. A single-institution retrospective comparison of proton and carbon ion therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To retrospectively analyze treatment outcomes after particle therapy using protons or carbon ions for mucosal melanoma of the head and neck (HNMM) at the Hyogo Ion Beam Medical Center, as well as to compare proton therapy (PT) and carbon ion therapy (CIT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from 62 HNMM patients without metastasis, treated with PT or CIT between October 2003 and April 2011 were analyzed. Median patient age was 70.5 years (range 33-89 years). Of the total patients, 33 (53 %) had received PT and 29 (47 %) had undergone CIT. Protocols for 65 or 70.2 GyE in 26 fractions were used for both ion types.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median follow-up was 18.0 months (range 5.2-82.7 months). The 1-/2-year overall survival (OS) and local control (LC) rates were 93 %/61 % and 93 %/78 % for all patients, 91 %/44 % and 92 %/71 % for the PT patients and 96 %/62 % and 95 %/59 % for the CIT patients, respectively. No significant differences were observed between PT and CIT. Local recurrence was observed in 8 patients (PT: 5, CIT: 3) and 29 (PT: 18, CIT: 11) experienced distant metastases. Acute reactions were acceptable and all patients completed the planned radiotherapy. Regarding late toxicity, grade 3 or greater events were observed in 5 patients (PT: 3, CIT: 2), but no significant difference was observed between PT and CIT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our single-institution retrospective analysis demonstrated that particle therapy for HNMM achieved good LC, but OS was unsatisfactory. There were no significant differences between PT and CIT in terms of either efficacy or toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Hyogo Ion Beam Medical Center, 1-2-1 Kouto, Shingu-cho, 679-5165, Tatsuno, Hyogo, Japan, y_demizu@nifty.com.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Demizu
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Terashima
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mima
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Niwa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akagi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Daimon
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fuwa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D019583:Dose Fractionation, Radiation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D063193:Heavy Ion Radiotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D009669:Nose Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D010039:Otorhinolaryngologic Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D010255:Paranasal Sinus Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D061766:Proton Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies