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Clinical evaluation of the treatment of advanced head and neck cancers with high‐energy electron beams
Author(s) -
Perry Harold,
Chu Florence C. H.,
Kitagawa Toshio,
Glicksman Arvin S.,
Nickson James J.
Publication year - 1966
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(196608)19:8<1081::aid-cncr2820190805>3.0.co;2-b
Subject(s) - medicine , head and neck , electron , high energy , nuclear medicine , surgery , atomic physics , physics , nuclear physics
Two hundred ten cases of head and neck carcinoma have been reviewed following treatment with high‐energy electrons, 6 mev to 24 mev. The ease of altering the electron beam energy allows for a rapid replanning of treatment when tumor size diminishes. The primary aim of treatment in most cases was palliation. Doses greater than 5,500 rads in 5 weeks were necessary for control of the primary and recurrent tumors as well as the metastatic nodes. The intervening normal tissue tolerated the dosage schedules quite well. In the material reported here the number of complete regressions was modest and the duration of continued control was short. The obvious reason for this finding is that the material was advanced or recurrent in 90% of cases. Other factors may account in part for the failures. The RBE of electrons is still uncertain. Consideration of tissue heterogeneity which was not done with these cases may produce different dose distributions. The authors conclude that high‐energy electrons are a safe and convenient source of ionization for the treatment of head and neck cancers.