Radiation treatment of head and neck cancer

Abstract

Radiation therapy plays a central and continuously evolving role in the treatment of head and neck cancer. In this review, some basic principles of radiation oncology are explained and common clinical scenarios are addressed in which radiation therapy forms part of the treatment course, with a focus on issues most pertinent to the interaction of radiation oncology with surgical treatment. These issues include refinement of the indications guiding the choice of adjuvant radiation therapy or chemoradiotherapy, sequencing and timing of therapies before or after definitive surgical management, and scientific and technical advances with the potential to reduce radiation-related toxicity.

Keywords: Cancer; Head and neck; Radiation; Treatment.