Re-irradiation in treating recurrent head and neck cancer

Aren Karapetyan, Resident at Yerevan State Medical University named after Mkhitar Heratsi,  shared a paper by Allen Chen et al. titled “Re-irradiation versus systemic therapy for the management of local-regionally recurrent head and neck cancer” published in Radiotherapy and Oncology.

Authors: Allen Chen, Jeremy Harris, Rupali Nabar, Tjoson Tjoa, Yarah Haidar, William Armstrong.

Aren Karapetyan commented on X sharing the paper:

“The benefits of re-irradiation versus systemic therapy in treating recurrent head and neck cancer.

Research shows re-irradiation significantly improves 2-year overall survival (32% vs. 11%) and progression-free survival (31% vs. 7%), as well as local-regional control (39% vs. 3%).

However, it also poses a higher risk of new grade 3+ toxicities (53% vs. 28%) and late toxicities (48% vs. 12%) compared to systemic therapy alone.”

Source: Aren Karapetyan/X