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Proton therapy for tumors of the skull base

  • Clinical Aspects of Hadron Therapy
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Abstract

Charged particle beams are ideal for treating skull base and cervical spine tumors: dose can be focused in the target, while achieving significant sparing of the brain, brain stem, cervical cord, and optic nerves and chiasm. For skull base tumors, 10-year local control rates with combined proton-photon therapy are highest for chondrosarcomas, intermediate for male chordomas, and lowest for female chordomas (94%, 65%, and 42%, respectively). For cervical spine tumors, 10-year local control rates are not significantly different for chordomas and chondrosarcomas (54% and 48%, respectively), nor is there any difference in local control between males and females. Observed treatment-related morbidity has been judged acceptable, in view of the major morbidity and mortality which accompany uncontrolled tumor growth.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusett General Hospital, Harvard University Medical School, 02115, Boston, MA, USA

    John E. Munzenrider MD & Norbert J. Liebsch

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  1. John E. Munzenrider MD
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  2. Norbert J. Liebsch
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Munzenrider, J.E., Liebsch, N.J. Proton therapy for tumors of the skull base. Strahlenther Onkol 175 (Suppl 2), 57–63 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03038890

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