Fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery for reirradiation of head-and-neck cancer.

PURPOSE: Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is an appealing treatment option after previous radiotherapy because of its precision, conformality, and reduced treatment duration. We report our experience with reirradiation using fractionated SRS for head-and-neck cancer.

METHODS AND MATERIALS: From 2002 to 2008, 65 patients received SRS to the oropharynx (n = 13), hypopharynx (n = 8), nasopharynx (n = 7), paranasal sinus (n = 7), neck (n = 7), and other sites (n = 23). Thirty-eight patients were treated definitively and 27 patients with metastatic disease and/or untreated local disease were treated palliatively. Nine patients underwent complete macroscopic resection before SRS. Thirty-three patients received concurrent chemoradiation. The median initial radiation dose was 67 Gy, and the median reirradiation SRS dose was 30 Gy (21-35 Gy) in 2-5 fractions.

RESULTS: Median follow-up for surviving patients was 16 months. Fifty-six patients were evaluable for response: 30 (54%) had complete, 15 (27%) had partial, and 11 (20%) had no response. Median overall survival (OS) for all patients was 12 months. For definitively treated patients, the 2-year OS and locoregional control (LRC) rates were 41% and 30%, respectively. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that higher total dose, surgical resection, and nasopharynx site were significantly associated with improved LRC; surgical resection and nonsquamous histology were associated with improved OS. Seven patients (11%) experienced severe reirradiation-related toxicity, including one treatment-attributed death.

CONCLUSION: SRS reirradiation for head-and-neck cancer is feasible. This study demonstrates encouraging response rates with acceptable toxicity. Fractionated SRS reirradiation with concurrent chemotherapy in select patients warrants further study.