Proton therapy to treat head and neck cancer
A randomized phase 3 study showed that proton therapy is comparable to advanced photon techniques such as IMRT in tumor control and survivals while decreasing adverse events. For paranasal sinus and nasal cavity malignancies, proton therapy could be associated with higher disease-free survivals and locoreginal tumor control compared to IMRT.1,2 Proton therapy also shows significantly lower rates of acute dysphagia, dysgeusia, mucositis and nausea, as well as of weight loss, opioid use, and gastrostomy tube dependence.3,4 For recurrent head and neck cancers requiring reirradiation, proton therapy maximizes the targeted dose of radiation to the tumor while minimizing damage to surrounding tissues, even in patients who have received multiple prior courses of radiotherapy5.
Download access
Please fill in the form to download the document.
References
- Frank SJ, Busse P, Rosenthal DI, Hernandez M, Swanson DM, Garden AS, Sturgis EM, Ferrarotto R, Gunn GB, Patel SH, LEE NY. Phase III randomized trial of intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) versus intensity-modulated photon therapy (IMRT) for the treatment of head and neck oropharyngeal carcinoma (OPC).
- Patel SH, Wang Z, Wong WW, Murad MH, Buckey CR, Mohammed K, Alahdab F, Altayar O, Nabhan M, Schild SE, Foote RL. Charged particle therapy versus photon therapy for paranasal sinus and nasal cavity malignant diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet Oncology. 2014 Aug 1;15(9):1027-38.
- Blanchard P, Garden AS, Gunn GB, Rosenthal DI, Morrison WH, Hernandez M, Crutison J, Lee JJ, Ye R, Fuller CD, Mohamed AS. Intensity-modulated proton beam therapy (IMPT) versus intensity-modulated photon therapy (IMRT) for patients with oropharynx cancer–a case matched analysis. Radiotherapy and Oncology. 2016 Jul 1;120(1):48-55.
- Manzar GS, Lester SC, Routman DM, Harmsen WS, Petersen MM, Sloan JA, Mundy DW, Hunzeker AE, Amundson AC, Anderson JL, Patel SH. Comparative analysis of acute toxicities and patient reported outcomes between intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for the treatment of oropharyngeal cancer. Radiotherapy and Oncology. 2020 Jun 1;147:64-74.
- Lin A, Chang JHC, Grover RS, Hoebers FJP, Parvathaneni U, Patel SH, Thariat J, Thomson DJ, Langendijk JA, Frank SJ. PTCOG Head and Neck Subcommittee Consensus Guidelines on Particle Therapy for the Management of Head and Neck Tumors. Int J Part Ther. 2021 Jun 25;8(1):84-94.
Growing interest and implementation of proton therapy for head and neck cancers
According to Dr. Alexander Lin, “The head and neck region contains vital organs that perform critical functions, very close to areas that require radiotherapy. Many cured patients live with the after-effects on speech, swallowing, and general quality of life. Other patients are limited in how much radiation can be safely delivered. By reducing normal tissue exposure, proton therapy can minimize long-term toxicity and ensure excellent post-treatment. For cancers that are untreatable with standard techniques, proton therapy can deliver the higher doses of radiation needed to cure the patient safely.”
What they say about it
Frequently asked questions
In this website, we provide you with extensive literature and documents about PT research and indications. In particular, we've compiled a series of in-depth white papers exploring the various types of cancers for which proton therapy could be a viable first-choice option.
Proton therapy is indicated in an increasing number of types of tumors. To know more about proton therapy therapy's efficiency and indications, consult our pages on how to start a treatment and the different types of cancers in which oncologist choose proton therapy as a first-choice treatment.
Proton Therapy is indicated in an increasing number of types of tumors. As it minimizes...