TY - JOUR T1 - A Prospective Study to Assess the Effectiveness and Safety of Radiation Therapy for Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancer Using Contralateral Submandibular Gland‐Sparing Radiation Therapy AU - Nivya, M. AU - Jayakumar, K.L. JO - Research Journal of Medical Sciences VL - 18 IS - 10 SP - 638 EP - 642 PY - 2024 DA - 2001/08/19 SN - 1815-9346 DO - makrjms.2024.10.638.642 UR - https://makhillpublications.co/view-article.php?doi=makrjms.2024.10.638.642 KW - Submandibular glands (SMGs) KW - intensity‐modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) KW - contralateral SMG (cSMG) KW - Well‐lateralized KW - oropharyngeal KW - oral cavity carcinoma AB -

SMG (cSMG)‐sparing radiation therapy has been adopted with a potential aim to improve xerostomia and other toxicities but the impact on treatment outcome is unsure. Submandibular glands‐sparing IMRT was offered either as definitive or post‐surgery adjuvant therapy according to clinical indicators for patients with squamous cell carcinoma of oral cavity and oropharynx who had unilateral neck node involvement only. Patients were assessed weekly during radiotherapy and at 6 weeks, 3 months and at 6 months after completion of the radiation for treatment response and evaluation of xerostomia and other toxicities. The mean dose (Gy) to the cSMG was 33.68. 25.7% of patients had Grade 2 acute xerostomia exactly after radiotherapy, 3 months after radiotherapy this reduced to 2.9% and 6 months after radiotherapy, no patients developing Grade 2 acute xerostomia (P<0.01). Patients who received radiotherapy, with or without chemotherapy, after surgery did not experience recurrence in the whole follow‐up period. After 6 months, 57.1% of patients who underwent definitive concurrent chemo radiotherapy exhibited complete response. cSMG‐sparing IMRT can significantly reduce rates of xerostomia while maintaining similar levels of tumour control among patients with well‐lateralized oropharyngeal and oral cavity carcinoma.

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