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. 2014;18(3):182-6.
doi: 10.5114/wo.2014.43155. Epub 2014 Jun 18.

Role of irradiation in combined treatment of head and neck paragangliomas at the Centre of Oncology in Krakow between 1970-2005

Magdalena Pęcak  1 , Elżbieta Pluta  1 , Marcin Hetnał  1 , Renata Wróbel-Radecka  1 , Agnieszka Szadurska  1 , Piotr Brandys  1 , Andrzej Kukiełka  1 , Tomasz Dąbrowski  1 , Tomasz Walasek  1 , Jan Skołyszewski  1
Affiliations

Role of irradiation in combined treatment of head and neck paragangliomas at the Centre of Oncology in Krakow between 1970-2005

Magdalena Pęcak et al. Contemp Oncol (Pozn). 2014.

Abstract

Aim of the study: Aim of the study is to evaluate the results of postoperative radiotherapy of paragangliomas, prognostic factors and causes of treatment failure.

Material and methods: Forty-four patients (39 females and 5 males) aged 20 to 74 years were treated for paraganglioma between 1970 and 2010 at the Centre of Oncology in Kraków. Patient survival probability was estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method. Log-rank tests and Cox proportional hazard model were used in univariate and multivariate analysis, respectively.

Results: The most common locations of paragangliomas were the following: the ear, carotid body and internal jugular vein bulb. Forty (91%) out of them were benign and 4 - malignant. All patients underwent surgery followed by adjuvant radiotherapy. The delivered dose ranged from 50 to 72 Gy, the mean dose was 60 Gy. Five-year overall survival was 84%. Five-year relapse-free survival was 84%, either. The multivariate analysis has shown that the dose in an independent prognostic factor for the overall survival. The univariate analysis has shown significantly higher 5-year overall survival in patients who received a dose of 60 Gy or higher - 92% vs. 70% in patients who received a dose lower than 60 Gy.

Conclusions: Postoperative radiotherapy with doses higher than 60 Gy in patients with paragangliomas is associated with longer overall survival.

Keywords: chemodectoma; head and neck tumours; paragangliomas; radiotherapy.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Overall survival
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Disease-free survival
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Disease-free survival by total dose
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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