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Radiation Effects on the Temporal Bone

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Temporal Bone Cancer

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Abstract

Radiation therapy is a common technique used in the multimodality treatment of head and neck cancers. Radiation causes cell death by a variety of mechanisms, and it may cause damage to both the target cancer cells and adjacent normal tissues. Radiation delivered directly to the temporal bone, or to neighboring subsites, can result in damage ranging from inflammation and infection to osteoradionecrosis or secondary malignancy. The delivered radiation dose appears to be the primary factor driving the development of these side effects. The pathophysiology of radiotherapy and its dose-response relationship will be discussed for the development of different complications. Treatment of these clinical problems will then be outlined.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otolaryngology, Olmsted Medical Center, Rochester, MN, USA

    Christopher D. Frisch M.D.

  2. Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA

    Beth M. Beadle M.D., Ph.D.

  3. Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA

    Paul W. Gidley M.D., F.A.C.S.

Authors
  1. Christopher D. Frisch M.D.
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  2. Beth M. Beadle M.D., Ph.D.
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  3. Paul W. Gidley M.D., F.A.C.S.
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Correspondence to Paul W. Gidley M.D., F.A.C.S. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Otology-Neurotology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA

    Paul W. Gidley

  2. Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA

    Franco DeMonte

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Frisch, C.D., Beadle, B.M., Gidley, P.W. (2018). Radiation Effects on the Temporal Bone. In: Gidley, P., DeMonte, F. (eds) Temporal Bone Cancer. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74539-8_30

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74539-8_30

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