title: The role of brachytherapy in the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.
abstract: Brachytherapy is a form of intensive local irradiation, allowing effective protection of surrounding structures with preservation of organ function and results in a favorable therapeutic ratio. It can be used alone, adjuvantly after surgery, and as a local boost in combination with external-beam radiation therapy. This paper is a literature review on the role of brachytherapy in the management of head and neck cancers with a special emphasis on papers published in the last 5 years. Technical details, effectiveness and potential toxicities of brachytherapy when used in different combinations with other therapeutic modalities and tumor sites are presented. Brachytherapy is an attractive treatment option in the management of primary malignancies and recurrent tumors in previously irradiated areas of the head and neck. It is effective and safe, and results in good functional and oncological outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wierzbicka
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bartochowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Division of Interventional Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Vratislav
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Strnad
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Institute of Oncology, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Primož
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Strojan
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
authors.forename: William M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Mendenhall
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Beth Israel Medical Center and St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospitals, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Louis B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.affiliation: University of Udine School of Medicine, Piazzale S. Maria della Misericordia, I-33100, Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rinaldo
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Puja
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sahai
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Philipp University, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wiegand
authors.affiliation: University of Udine School of Medicine, Piazzale S. Maria della Misericordia, I-33100, Udine, Italy. a.ferlito@uniud.it.
authors.forename: Alfio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferlito
mesh_terms: D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000379:methods*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000532:radiotherapy; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck
keywords: Brachytherapy; HDR; Head and neck cancers; PDR; Squamous cell carcinoma