Dr. Shlomo Koyfman on Radiation in Recurrent Head and Neck Cancer

Shlomo Koyfman, MD, associate staff, radiation oncology, Cleveland Clinic, discusses radiation therapy in recurrent head and neck cancer.

Researchers at 8 institutions evaluated intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) to determine outcomes in the reirradiation setting for recurrent head and neck cancer.

This is a challenging group of patients and the treatment is historically considered high-risk, with significant toxicities. However, all studies regarding this treatment in this patient population are very old, so there is little understanding of modern use, says Koyfman.

The analysis found that cure rates are higher and the toxicities are much lower with IMRT and SBRT than older studies show. This is really important for oncologists to know because many patients are not going currently being offered these treatments due to perceived toxicities, says Koyfman.

The analysis also stratified patients into 3 categories, and found that each group has a significantly different survival rate. This information will be helpful in determining which patients should receive IMRT and SBRT treatment.