The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) on the incidence and severity of chronic dysphagia in patients with head and neck cancer. 62 evaluable patients with head and neck cancer who were treated with IMRT with or without concurrent chemotherapy were analysed. The majority of the patients (77.4%) had advanced locoregional disease. 45 patients underwent definitive IMRT and 17 received post-operative IMRT. Concurrent chemotherapy was given to 29 of the 45 patients treated with definitive IMRT. The average prescribed dose to clinical target volume (CTV)1 was 66-70 Gy (definitive IMRT) and 56-62 Gy (post-operative IMRT); 60 Gy to CTV2; 54 Gy to CTV3; and 50-52 Gy to the supraclavicular area. At a median follow-up of 19 months, 2-year actuarial locoregional control and survival was 77% and 74%, respectively. At 6 months after IMRT, chronic dysphagia was Grade 0 in 77.1% of patients, Grade 1 in 10.5% and Grade 2 in 12.3%. Acute mucositis showed no correlation with long-term dysphagia. The percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy or nasogastric tube was removed in all of the patients within 8 weeks of completion of treatment. Xerostomia was Grade 0 in 61.4% of patients, Grade 1 in 31.5% and Grade 2 in 7% of patients. In conclusion, IMRT conferred a major favourable impact on chronic dysphagia in patients with locally advanced head and neck cancers, with satisfactory locoregional control.
Extramedullary plasmacytoma (EMP) is a plasma cell neoplasm without bone marrow involvement or other systemic characteristics of multiple myeloma. Few large-scale clinical studies have been conducted because of the rarity of EMP, especially when it arises from the mediastinum. Herein we report a rare case of solitary mediastinal plasmacytoma with reactive pleural effusion. A 58-year-old female presented with grade 4 dyspnea and dysphagia, with a mediastinal mass observed with on PET. CT-guided biopsy results were suggestive of IgG kappa-type EMP arising from the anterior mediastinum. The patient was treated with local radiotherapy to the mediastinum, and had clinical and radiological response s were good. Radiotherapy is an effective treatment for mediastinal EMP, but a complete workup is mandatory, including PET, as the majority of such masses coexist with multiple myeloma. (Turk J Hematol 2011; 28: 228-31) Key words: Extramedullary, plasmacytoma, mediastinal, radiotherapy
Locoregional recurrence (LRR) or second primary malignancy in the previously treated area continues to be a major cause of treatment failure with significant morbidity and mortality in head and neck cancer. Prognosis of recurrent disease is dismal. To manage LRR is a therapeutic challenge for multidisciplinary head and neck team and more so if it is in a previously irradiated area. Though surgery is the mainstay of treatment but curative resection is feasible in only minority of patients. Systemic therapy alone has no long-term response rate or survival advantage in the management of inoperable recurrences. Full dose reradiation (RERT) with or without concurrent systemic therapy (CRERT) remains the only viable treatment option offering long-term survival in carefully selected patients. RERT is not a new concept but traditionally been avoided because of concern regarding toxicity due to limitations of conventional radiotherapy techniques. Initial studies were restricted to brachytherapy with its limitations. During the past two decades with the revolution in radiation therapy treatment delivery, more precise treatment techniques such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy, image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), adaptive radiation therapy, stereotactic body radiotherapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, tomotherapy, intensity modulated proton therapy, image-guided brachytherapy in combination with better imaging modalities to define the target with the concept of biological target volume, offer various options for RERT with improved survival and limited toxicity. Pattern of failure even after full dose RERT is mainly infield, inside recurrent gross tumor volume (r GTV); radioresistance and tumor hypoxia may be the probable explanation. Though RERT has been established as a mainstream treatment option, there is a lack of prospective multi-institutional studies and absence of phase III randomized trial except one in adjuvant setting. Optimum treatment is yet to be defined. We have reviewed the literature and attempt has been made to provide guidance to the priorities on which future investigation should focus. There is a need to reevaluate prognostic factors for survival, selection criteria for patients undergoing RERT, measures to reduce the infield recurrence and morbidity, reradiation tolerance of normal tissue in IGRT era, toxicity antagonist and molecular marker as a diagnostic and prognostic tool. There is a need of multi-institutional prospective randomize trial with uniform data reporting.
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