近距离放射疗法治疗头颈部恶性肿瘤进展

Current status and perspectives of brachytherapy for head and neck cancer

近距离放射疗法(brachytherapy,BT)是指当癌变组织包绕正常组织的时候,在目的区域局部施放大剂量放射线的治疗方法。在头颈部恶性肿瘤治疗中,通过计算机计算放射剂量治疗后,可以明显减少下颌部硬组织和软组织损伤。为了有效治疗头颈部恶性肿瘤,不仅要根据肿瘤的部位也同样要根据患者的身体和心理情况进行近距离放射疗法的选择。血运丰富和解剖位置原因促使口腔恶性肿瘤常常发生早期颈淋巴结转移、血行转移及部分远处转移,因此使用BT治疗头颈部恶性肿瘤后,医生需要注意的是预防头颈部肿瘤的转移和上呼吸道或者消化道的继发肿瘤,以及放射诱发的癌变。

Brachytherapy（BT） delivers a high radiation dose to a limited tumor with sparing surrounding normal tissues.In head and neck cancer,severe soft-tissue damage and bone damage can be decreased markedly by computer dosimetry and the use of spacers during treatment.Not only the tumor site but also the patient＇s physical and mental condition are important for the curative treatment of head and neck cancer by BT.Following the successful treatment of early head and neck cancer by BT,the major problems are metastasis and a second primary cancer of the respiratory tract or upper digestive tract,and the minor problem is radiation-induced cancer.