title: GEC-ESTRO ACROP recommendations for head & neck brachytherapy in squamous cell carcinomas: 1st update - Improvement by cross sectional imaging based treatment planning and stepping source technology.
abstract: The Head and Neck Working Group of the GEC-ESTRO (Groupe Européen de Curiethérapie - European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology) published in 2009 the consensus recommendations for low-dose rate, pulsed-dose rate and high-dose rate brachytherapy in head & neck cancers. The use of brachytherapy in combination with external beam radiotherapy and/or surgery was also covered as well as the use of brachytherapy in previously irradiated patients. Given the developments in the field, these recommendations needed to be updated to reflect up-to-date knowledge. The present update does not repeat basic knowledge which was published in the first recommendation but covers in a general part developments in (1) dose and fractionation, (2) aspects of treatment selection for brachytherapy alone versus combined BT+EBRT and (3) quality assurance issues. Detailed expert committee opinion intends to help the clinical practice in lip-, oral cavity-, oropharynx-, nasopharynx-, and superficial cancers. Different aspects of adjuvant treatment techniques and their results are discussed, as well the possibilities of salvage brachytherapy applications.
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Brachytherapy Unit, University of Lübeck/UKSH CL, Germany. Electronic address: kovacsluebeck@gmail.com.
authors.forename: György
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kovács
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Navarra, Spain.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martinez-Monge
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, India.
authors.forename: Ashwini
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Budrukkar
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Fundacion Institito Valenciano de Oncologia (IVO), Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Jose Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Guinot
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Örebro Universitet, Sweden.
authors.forename: Bengt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital of Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Vratislav
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Strnad
authors.affiliation: Department of Brachytherapy, Greater Poland Cancer Centre, Poznan, Poland; Department of Elektroradiology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland.
authors.forename: Janusz
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Skowronek
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Hospital Clinic i Universitari, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Angeles
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rovirosa
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy (Radiooncology), Christian-Albrechts-University/UKSH-CK, Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Frank-André
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Siebert
mesh_terms: D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000379:methods*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D019583:Dose Fractionation, Radiation; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck
keywords: Brachytherapy; GEC-ESTRO; Head & neck; Recommendation