Tumor volume changes after stereotactic, hypofractionated and conventional radiotherapy in paragangliomas of head and neck

• Published in: Cancer medicine (Malden, MA) Vol. 13; no. 17; pp. e70232 - n/a
• Main Authors: Polanowski, Paweł J., Kotecka‐Blicharz, Agnieszka R., Tukiendorf, Andrzej, Amrogowicz, Natalia J., Nasiek, Aleksandra M., Pietruszka, Agnieszka, Polanowska, Katarzyna M., Składowski, Krzysztof A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.09.2024; Wiley
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; conventional radiotherapy; Dose Fractionation, Radiation; Embolization; Female; Head and neck; Head and Neck Neoplasms - pathology; Head and Neck Neoplasms - radiotherapy; Hemorrhage; Humans; hypofractionated radiotherapy; Localization; Magnetic resonance imaging; Male; Metastasis; Middle Aged; Mutation; Paraganglioma; Paraganglioma - diagnostic imaging; Paraganglioma - pathology; Paraganglioma - radiotherapy; paragangliomas; Patients; Radiation Dose Hypofractionation; Radiation therapy; Radiosurgery - methods; Radiotherapy Dosage; Statistical analysis; stereotactic radiotherapy; Tinnitus; Tomography; Treatment Outcome; Tumor Burden - radiation effects; Tumors; Variance analysis; Young Adult; head and neck; stereotactic radiotherapy; paragangliomas; hypofractionated radiotherapy; conventional radiotherapy
• ISSN: 2045-7634; 2045-7634
• DOI: 10.1002/cam4.70232

Background The aim of this study is comparison the effectiveness of stereotactic, hypofractionated and conventional radiotherapy assessed by the tumor volume changes of paraganglioma located in the head and neck region concerning fractional and total doses. Methods We analyzed 76 patients after radiotherapy due to paraganglioma who were assigned to 3 groups considering fractional (≤2 Gy, 3–5.5 Gy, ≥6 Gy) and total (≤20 Gy, 21–40 Gy, >40 Gy) doses. The volumes of irradiated tumors were measured and compared based on diagnostic images performed before and after the treatment. Results The mean tumor volume after the treatment with the lowest fractional dose (≤2 Gy) was decreased by 14.4 cm3. In patients treated with higher fractional doses (>2 Gy), the mean tumor volumes decreased by less than 1 cm3 for hypofractionated and stereotactic radiotherapy. 15.9 cm3 reduction of the mean tumor volume after the treatment with the highest RT total dose (>40 Gy) was stated. In patients treated with total doses ≤20 Gy and 21–40 Gy, the mean tumor volume was stable and reduced by 1.15 cm3, respectively. The analysis demonstrates a statistically significant (p < 0.05) treatment advantage in patients after the lowest fractional and highest total doses. Conclusion The reduction of the tumor's volume was reported after conventional and unconventional radiotherapy. The most significant depletion of the paraganglioma volume was noted after a factional dose ≤2 Gy and a total dose >40 Gy.