Maria I van Rijn-Dekker, Sacha la Bastide-van Gemert, Monique A Stokman, Arjan Vissink, Robert P Coppes, Johannes A Langendijk, Peter van Luijk, Roel J H M Steenbakkers
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Previous studies have shown that the mean dose to the parotid gland stem cell rich regions (Dmean,SCR ) is the strongest dosimetric predictor for the risk of patient-reported daytime xerostomia. This study aimed to test whether the relationship between patient-reported xerostomia and Dmean,SCR is explained by a dose-dependent reduction of saliva production. MATERIAL/METHODS: In 570 head and neck cancer patients treated with definitive radiation therapy (RT), flow from the parotid (FLOWPAR ) and submandibular/sublingual glands (FLOWSMSL ) and patient-reported daytime (XERDAY ) and nighttime xerostomia (XERNIGHT ) were prospectively measured before, and at 6 and 12 months after RT...
April 15, 2024: International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics