Background/aim: Image-guided intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IG-IMRT) is increasingly being used to treat patients with head and neck malignancies. This analysis compared conventional radiotherapy (CRT) and IMRT outcomes for head and neck aggressive extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphomas (EN-NHL).
Patients and methods: Forty-eight patients who underwent irradiation between 2005 and 2019 were identified.
Results: The median follow-up was 42 months. Patients treated with IMRT experienced higher overall responde rate than patients who received 3DCRT (85% vs. 73%, p=0.4). There was non-significant longer survival following IMRT compared with 3DCRT in terms of 5-year OS (p=0.16). Complete responders after primary treatments had a significantly higher 5-year progression-free (p<0.001) and overall survival (p=0.003) in comparison with those without a complete response. Regarding toxicities, IMRT was associated with less acute and chronic adverse events.
Conclusion: IG-IMRT following systemic therapy seems to be associated with a favorable survival and toxicity profile in patients with EN-NHL.
Keywords: Extranodal lymphoma; IMRT; image-guided radiotherapy; immunotherapy; local control; prognosis.
Copyright © 2021 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.