Dosimetrical Relationship between 3d Delineation and Oral Complications of Radiotherapy in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer

Abstract

To study the relationship between the dosimetric parameters of the radiotherapy contouring protocols for head and neck cancers and the acute oral complications resulting from this treatment.Methods: This was a cross-sectional, quantitative study. Radiotherapy was planned according to established design protocols. The constraints used were those described in QUANTEC (Quantitative Analyses of Normal Tissue Effects in the Clinic) and the complications were classified based on the CTCAE "" (National Cancer Institute's Common Criteria Chart of Toxicity).Results: Eleven patients participated, most of them male (89%), with a mean age of 60.2 years. The most frequent tumor site was oropharynx (55%) and the degree of staging IV (64%). Among the participants, 73% were smokers and 82% had a habit of drinking alcohol. The most frequent oral complications were dysphagia (91%), xerostomia (82%), mucositis (54%) and oral pain (54%). For the complications dysphagia, xerostomia and mucositis, relationships were found between the dosimetric data and the development of these, for oral pain the difference between the groups was not significant. Conclusion:Dosimetric data are directly related to the development of certain oral complications resulting from radiotherapy treatment for malignant head and neck neoplasms.