Central Nervous System and Head and Neck Tumors Treated With Proton Beam

Today we cover diseases of the eye and head and neck tumors.
Proton and helium-ion irradiation have a long established role in treating patients with ocular melanoma.
Ophthalmologists and radiation oncologists in Boston have long collaborated in offering this alternative. Of 1,006 patients treated there with protons from 1975 to 1986, 96% had tumors controlled in the eye at five years; 89% of patients retained their diseased eye, including 97% of those having small lesions; and more than 50% of patients retained vision better than 20/100.
Other diseases of the eye that are being treated with proton beam therapy are medium-size to large choroidal melanomas, macular degeneration as well as other diseases of the eye.
Physicians have also used protons to re-treat recurrent cancer of the nasopharynx. These patients had received treatment of 50.0 – 88.2 Gy of photons (x-ray) and without chemotherapy. They were treated with protons alone to additional doses of 59.4-70.2 GyE. The mean duration of follow up was 23.7 months. The rates of 24 month actuarial overall and local regional progression-free survival were both 50%. Of greater import, they analyzed dose-volume histograms to determine the patients who had received “optimal” coverage of their tumors. In such cases the 24 month actuarial overall survival rate was 83%.
Tomorrow, we’ll cover a bit about proton treatment for lung cancer.
All information referenced for Technology in Cancer Research and Treatment, Volume 5, Number 2, April (2006)
Have a good Wednesday.
Blessings,
Rick