Affiliation:
1. Department of Radiation Oncology Miami Cancer Institute, Baptist Health South Florida Miami Florida USA
2. Department of Radiation Oncology Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University Miami Florida USA
Abstract
AbstractBackgroundTubarial glands are a new organ at risk for head and neck cancer radiation therapy (RT). We aimed to study the feasibility of sparing them using intensity‐modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).MethodsTubarial glands were delineated for 17 patients with oropharyngeal carcinoma receiving definitive RT, and treatment plans were re‐optimized to spare dose to the tubarial glands while maintaining target coverage. A paired t test was performed to compare the mean dose of tubarial glands and target coverage.ResultsThe difference in mean doses was 4.9 and 7.0 Gy for the ipsilateral and contralateral tubarial glands, respectively (p < 0.01). The mean dose to tubarial gland was ≤39 Gy in 35% versus 47% (ipsilateral) and 70% versus 100% (contralateral) in clinical and re‐optimized plans, respectively. Re‐optimized ipsilateral tubarial gland mean ≤39 Gy was achieved more commonly in patients with base of tongue versus tonsil primaries (86% vs. 20%, p = 0.02).ConclusionThis pilot study demonstrates the dosimetric feasibility of tubarial gland sparing with IMRT. Dosimetric constraints need to be determined with larger studies.