Radiation Therapy for Cutaneous Malignancies of the Head and Neck

Rohan Katipally; Nishant Agrawal; Aditya Juloori

doi:10.1016/j.otc.2020.11.009

Radiation Therapy for Cutaneous Malignancies of the Head and Neck

Otolaryngol Clin North Am. 2021 Apr;54(2):307-327. doi: 10.1016/j.otc.2020.11.009. Epub 2021 Feb 16.

Authors

Rohan Katipally¹, Nishant Agrawal², Aditya Juloori³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology, Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine, University of Chicago Medicine, 5758 South Maryland Avenue, MC 9006, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. Electronic address: rohan.katipally@uchospitals.edu.
² Department of Surgery, Section of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Chicago Medicine, 5841 South Maryland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
³ Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology, Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine, University of Chicago Medicine, 5758 South Maryland Avenue, MC 9006, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.

PMID: 33602518
DOI: 10.1016/j.otc.2020.11.009

Abstract

Radiation therapy plays an integral role in the management of cutaneous malignancies of the head and neck. This article highlights the use of radiation therapy in the definitive and adjuvant setting for basal cell carcinoma, cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma, and Merkel cell carcinoma. Themes that emerge include the overall efficacy of radiation therapy as a local therapy, the relevance of cosmesis, functional outcomes, late toxicities as secondary end points, and the multitude of treatment modalities that are used.

Keywords: Basal cell carcinoma; Keratinocyte carcinoma; Melanoma; Merkel cell carcinoma; Radiation therapy; Radiotherapy; Skin cancer; Squamous cell carcinoma.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Carcinoma, Basal Cell* / radiotherapy
Carcinoma, Merkel Cell* / radiotherapy
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* / radiotherapy
Head and Neck Neoplasms* / radiotherapy
Humans
Skin Neoplasms* / radiotherapy