Brachytherapy in the Treatment of Head and Neck Cancer

Yoo, Seong Yul

Abstract

Brachytherapy has been proved to be an effective method for the purpose of increasing radiation dose to the tumor and reducing the dose to the surrounding normal tissue. In head and neck cancer, the rationale of brachytherapy is as follows; Firstly, early small lesion is radiocurative and the major cause of failure is local recurrene. Seondly, it can diminish evidently the dose to the normal tissue especially masseteric muscle and salivary gland. Thirdly, the anatomy of head and neck is suitable to various technique of brachytherapy. On background of accumulated experience of LDR iridium brachytherapy of head and neck cancer for the last 15 years, the author reviewed the history of radioisotope therapy, the characteristics of radionuclides,and some important things in the method, clinical technique and treatment planning. The author analyzed the clinical result of 185 cases of head and neck cancer treated in the Korea Cancer Center Hospital. Finally the fu ture prospect of brachytherapy of head and neck cancer is discussed.