Postoperative radiation therapy may be indicated in patients with tumors of the head and neck when residual disease is likely present.
Questions to answer when deciding if radiation therapy should be used in a patient (after Table 1, page 200):
(1) How high is the risk for relapse without irradiation?
(2) To what extent is irradiation likely to decrease the risk of relapse?
(3) What is the anticipated morbidity of irradiation?
(4) Will salvage treatment be possible with a reasonable expectation of success if relapse occurs?
Clinical Stage
Indications
Clinical Stage I or II (T1N0 or T2N0)
margin of resection unsatisfactory (positive, very close or inadequate for other reason)
multiple metastatic lymph nodes
extracapsular extension from lymph node(s) found at neck dissection
elective neck dissection not feasible, although significant likelihood existed that occult nodal metastases were present
Clinical Stage 3 or 4
all patients
(after Table 2, page 200)
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Specialty: Hematology Oncology
ICD-10: ,
