Accelerated radiotherapy with simultaneous integrated boost fractionation and intensity-modulated radiotherapy for advanced head and neck cancer.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the feasibility and toxicity profile of accelerated radiotherapy with a simultaneous integrated boost fractionation scheme with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (SIB-IMRT) with or without chemotherapy.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING

Forty-nine patients with advanced head and neck cancer underwent SIB-IMRT. Concomitant chemotherapy was administered in 29 patients.

RESULTS

Grade 3 acute toxicities included 55% mucositis, 20% odynophagia, 12% nausea, 18% hematologic, and 8% skin. There were no grade 4 toxicities or treatment-related deaths. With a median follow-up of 25 months, locoregional control was 83%, and overall survival was 80%. Of patients with grade 3 late toxicities, two patients (4% of the total) required a permanent percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube, and osteonecrosis occurred in one patient (2% of the total).

CONCLUSIONS

SIB-IMRT is a feasible technique that shortens the overall treatment time in the radical treatment of patients with advanced head and neck cancer while maintaining acceptable rates of acute toxicity in this study. Although the results are promising, this approach should be considered only in the setting of a clinical trial.