A systematic review of treating recurrent head and neck cancer: a reintroduction of brachytherapy with or without surgery.

Publication/Presentation Date

10-1-2018

Abstract

PURPOSE: To review brachytherapy use in recurrent head and neck carcinoma (RHNC) with focus on its efficacy and complication rates.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A literature search of PubMed, Ovid, Google Scholar, and Scopus was conducted from 1990 to 2017. Publications describing treatment of RHNC with brachytherapy with or without surgery were included. The focus of this review is on oncologic outcomes and the safety of brachytherapy in the recurrent setting.

RESULTS: Thirty studies involving RHNC treatment with brachytherapy were reviewed. Brachytherapy as adjunctive treatment to surgical resection appears to be associated with an improved local regional control and overall survival, when compared with the published rates for re-irradiation utilizing external beam radiotherapy (RT) or brachytherapy alone. Safety data remains variable with different isotopes and dose rates with implantable brachytherapy demonstrating a tolerable side effect profile.

CONCLUSIONS: Although surgery remains a mainstay treatment for RHNC, intraoperative interstitial brachytherapy delivery as adjunctive therapy may improve the treatment outcome and may be associated with fewer complication rates as compared to reirradiation using external beam radiotherapy. Further investigations are required to elucidate the role of brachytherapy for RHNC.

Volume

10

Issue

5

First Page

454

Last Page

462

ISSN

1689-832X

Disciplines

Business Administration, Management, and Operations | Health and Medical Administration | Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods

PubMedID

30479623

Department(s)

Administration and Leadership

Document Type

Article

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