title: Helical tomotherapy in head and neck cancer: a European single-center experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We report on a retrospective analysis of 147 patients with early and locoregionally advanced squamous cell head and neck cancer (SCCHN) treated with helical tomotherapy (HT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Included were patients with SCCHN of the oral cavity (OC), oropharynx (OP), hypopharynx (HP), or larynx (L) consecutively treated in one radiotherapy center in 2008 and 2009. The prescribed HT dose was 60-66 Gy in the postoperative setting (group A) and 66-70 Gy when given as primary treatment (group B). HT was given alone, concurrent with systemic therapy (ST), that is, chemotherapy, biotherapy, or both, and with or without induction therapy (IT). Acute and late toxicities are reported using standard criteria; locoregional failure/progression (LRF), distant metastases (DM), and second primary tumors (SPT) were documented, and event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated from the start of HT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Group A patients received HT alone in 22 cases and HT + ST in 20 cases; group B patients received HT alone in 17 cases and HT + ST in 88 cases. Severe (grade ≥ 3) acute mucosal toxicity and swallowing problems increased with more additional ST. After a median follow-up of 44 months, grade ≥2 late toxicity after HT + ST was approximately twice that of HT alone for skin, subcutis, pharynx, and larynx. Forty percent had grade ≥2 late xerostomia, and 29% had mucosal toxicity. At 3 years, LRF/DM/SPT occurred in 7%/7%/17% and 25%/13%/5% in groups A and B, respectively, leading to a 3-year EFS/OS of 64%/74% and 56%/63% in groups A and B, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of HT alone or in combination with ST is feasible and promising and has a low late fatality rate. However, late toxicity is nearly twice as high when ST is added to HT.
authors: Department of Radiotherapy, University Radiotherapy Antwerp UZA/ZNA, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Medical Oncology, Scientific Coordination and Biostatistics, and Data-Management Multidisciplinair Oncologisch Centrum Antwerpen, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium; Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Iridium Kankernetwerk, Campus Nikolaas, Sint Niklaas, Belgium; Radiation Oncology Department and Centre for Molecular Imaging and Experimental Radiotherapy, St-Luc University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium dirk.vangestel@zna.be.
authors: Dirk
authors: D
authors: Van Gestel
authors: Department of Radiotherapy, University Radiotherapy Antwerp UZA/ZNA, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Medical Oncology, Scientific Coordination and Biostatistics, and Data-Management Multidisciplinair Oncologisch Centrum Antwerpen, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium; Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Iridium Kankernetwerk, Campus Nikolaas, Sint Niklaas, Belgium; Radiation Oncology Department and Centre for Molecular Imaging and Experimental Radiotherapy, St-Luc University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.
authors: Danielle
authors: D
authors: Van den Weyngaert
authors: Department of Radiotherapy, University Radiotherapy Antwerp UZA/ZNA, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Medical Oncology, Scientific Coordination and Biostatistics, and Data-Management Multidisciplinair Oncologisch Centrum Antwerpen, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium; Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Iridium Kankernetwerk, Campus Nikolaas, Sint Niklaas, Belgium; Radiation Oncology Department and Centre for Molecular Imaging and Experimental Radiotherapy, St-Luc University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.
authors: Geert
authors: G
authors: De Kerf
authors: Department of Radiotherapy, University Radiotherapy Antwerp UZA/ZNA, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Medical Oncology, Scientific Coordination and Biostatistics, and Data-Management Multidisciplinair Oncologisch Centrum Antwerpen, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium; Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Iridium Kankernetwerk, Campus Nikolaas, Sint Niklaas, Belgium; Radiation Oncology Department and Centre for Molecular Imaging and Experimental Radiotherapy, St-Luc University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.
authors: Bie
authors: B
authors: De Ost
authors: Department of Radiotherapy, University Radiotherapy Antwerp UZA/ZNA, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Medical Oncology, Scientific Coordination and Biostatistics, and Data-Management Multidisciplinair Oncologisch Centrum Antwerpen, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium; Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Iridium Kankernetwerk, Campus Nikolaas, Sint Niklaas, Belgium; Radiation Oncology Department and Centre for Molecular Imaging and Experimental Radiotherapy, St-Luc University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.
authors: Olivier
authors: O
authors: Vanderveken
authors: Department of Radiotherapy, University Radiotherapy Antwerp UZA/ZNA, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Medical Oncology, Scientific Coordination and Biostatistics, and Data-Management Multidisciplinair Oncologisch Centrum Antwerpen, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium; Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Iridium Kankernetwerk, Campus Nikolaas, Sint Niklaas, Belgium; Radiation Oncology Department and Centre for Molecular Imaging and Experimental Radiotherapy, St-Luc University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.
authors: Carl
authors: C
authors: Van Laer
authors: Department of Radiotherapy, University Radiotherapy Antwerp UZA/ZNA, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Medical Oncology, Scientific Coordination and Biostatistics, and Data-Management Multidisciplinair Oncologisch Centrum Antwerpen, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium; Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Iridium Kankernetwerk, Campus Nikolaas, Sint Niklaas, Belgium; Radiation Oncology Department and Centre for Molecular Imaging and Experimental Radiotherapy, St-Luc University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.
authors: Pol
authors: P
authors: Specenier
authors: Department of Radiotherapy, University Radiotherapy Antwerp UZA/ZNA, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Medical Oncology, Scientific Coordination and Biostatistics, and Data-Management Multidisciplinair Oncologisch Centrum Antwerpen, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium; Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Iridium Kankernetwerk, Campus Nikolaas, Sint Niklaas, Belgium; Radiation Oncology Department and Centre for Molecular Imaging and Experimental Radiotherapy, St-Luc University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.
authors: Yasmyne
authors: Y
authors: Geussens
authors: Department of Radiotherapy, University Radiotherapy Antwerp UZA/ZNA, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Medical Oncology, Scientific Coordination and Biostatistics, and Data-Management Multidisciplinair Oncologisch Centrum Antwerpen, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium; Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Iridium Kankernetwerk, Campus Nikolaas, Sint Niklaas, Belgium; Radiation Oncology Department and Centre for Molecular Imaging and Experimental Radiotherapy, St-Luc University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.
authors: Kristien
authors: K
authors: Wouters
authors: Department of Radiotherapy, University Radiotherapy Antwerp UZA/ZNA, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Medical Oncology, Scientific Coordination and Biostatistics, and Data-Management Multidisciplinair Oncologisch Centrum Antwerpen, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium; Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Iridium Kankernetwerk, Campus Nikolaas, Sint Niklaas, Belgium; Radiation Oncology Department and Centre for Molecular Imaging and Experimental Radiotherapy, St-Luc University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.
authors: Els
authors: E
authors: Meulemans
authors: Department of Radiotherapy, University Radiotherapy Antwerp UZA/ZNA, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Medical Oncology, Scientific Coordination and Biostatistics, and Data-Management Multidisciplinair Oncologisch Centrum Antwerpen, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium; Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Iridium Kankernetwerk, Campus Nikolaas, Sint Niklaas, Belgium; Radiation Oncology Department and Centre for Molecular Imaging and Experimental Radiotherapy, St-Luc University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.
authors: Kin Jip
authors: KJ
authors: Cheung
authors: Department of Radiotherapy, University Radiotherapy Antwerp UZA/ZNA, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Medical Oncology, Scientific Coordination and Biostatistics, and Data-Management Multidisciplinair Oncologisch Centrum Antwerpen, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium; Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Iridium Kankernetwerk, Campus Nikolaas, Sint Niklaas, Belgium; Radiation Oncology Department and Centre for Molecular Imaging and Experimental Radiotherapy, St-Luc University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.
authors: Vincent
authors: V
authors: Grégoire
authors: Department of Radiotherapy, University Radiotherapy Antwerp UZA/ZNA, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Medical Oncology, Scientific Coordination and Biostatistics, and Data-Management Multidisciplinair Oncologisch Centrum Antwerpen, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium; Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Iridium Kankernetwerk, Campus Nikolaas, Sint Niklaas, Belgium; Radiation Oncology Department and Centre for Molecular Imaging and Experimental Radiotherapy, St-Luc University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.
authors: Jan B
authors: JB
authors: Vermorken
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001530:Belgium; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D050397:Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Head and neck cancer; Helical tomotherapy; Retrospective analysis; Systemic therapy