Xerostomia and reduced quality of life are common occurrences in patients treated with radiation to the salivary gland for head and neck squamous-cell carcinoma. This article discusses outcomes after intensity-modulated radiation therapy and three-dimensional conventional radiotherapy among patients with head and neck squamous-cell carcinoma.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Relevant articles
Open Access articles citing this article.
-
Clinical observation of submandibular gland transfer for the prevention of xerostomia after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a prospective randomized controlled study of 32 cases
Radiation Oncology Open Access 21 February 2014
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$209.00 per year
only $17.42 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Vergeer, M. R. et al. Intensity-modulated radiotherapy reduces radiation-induced morbidity and improves health-related quality of life: results of a nonrandomized prospective study using a standardized follow-up program. Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. 74, 1–8 (2009).
Pow, E. H. et al. Xerostomia and quality of life after intensity-modulated radiotherapy vs. conventional radiotherapy for early-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma: initial report on a randomized controlled clinical trial. Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. 66, 981–991 (2006).
Kam, M. K. et al. Prospective randomized study of intensity-modulated radiotherapy on salivary gland function in early-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients. J. Clin. Oncol. 25, 4873–4879 (2007).
Nutting, C. et al. First results of a phase III multicenter randomized controlled trial of intensity modulated (IMRT) versus conventional radiotherapy (RT) in head and neck cancer [abstract]. ASCO Meetings Abstracts 27, LBA6006 (2009).
Eisbruch, A. et al. Dose-volume-effect relationships in parotid salivary glands after intensity modulated or conformal radiotherapy. Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. 45, 577–587 (1999).
Eisbruch, A. et al. Xerostomia and its predictors after radiotherapy of head and neck cancer. Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. 50, 695–704 (2001).
Murdoch-Kinch, C. A. et al. Dose-response relationships for the submandibular salivary glands. Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. 72, 373–382 (2008).
Jellema, A. P. et al. Does radiation dose to the salivary glands and oral cavity predict patient-rated xerostomia and sticky saliva in head and neck cancer patients treated with curative radiotherapy? Radiother. Oncol. 77, 164–171 (2005).
Eisbruch, A. et al. Dysphagia and aspiration after chemoradiotherapy for head-and-neck cancer: which anatomic structures are affected and can they be spared by IMRT? Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. 60, 1425–1439 (2004).
Feng, F. Y. et al. IMRT for Head and Neck Cancer Aimed at Reducing Dysphagia: Long-term Clinical Outcomes and Dose-Function Relationships [abstract]. Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. 72 (Suppl. 1), S33–S34 (2008).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
The author declares no competing financial interests.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Eisbruch, A. IMRT reduces xerostomia and potentially improves QoL. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 6, 567–568 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrclinonc.2009.143
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrclinonc.2009.143
This article is cited by
-
Management of Older Patients with Head and Neck Cancer: A Comprehensive Review
Advances in Therapy (2023)
-
Unilateral cochlea sparing in locoregionally advanced head and neck cancer: a planning study
Strahlentherapie und Onkologie (2018)
-
Clinical observation of submandibular gland transfer for the prevention of xerostomia after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a prospective randomized controlled study of 32 cases
Radiation Oncology (2014)
-
Outcomes of anal cancer treated with definitive IMRT-based chemoradiation
Journal of Radiation Oncology (2012)
-
Objective Assessment of Swallowing Function After Definitive Concurrent (Chemo)radiotherapy in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer
Dysphagia (2011)