Proton therapy re-irradiation shows 67% survival in head and neck cancer study

A study conducted by the Cancer Center Clínica Universidad de Navarra (CCUN) has demonstrated that re-irradiation using proton therapy achieved a 67 percent one-year global survival rate in patients with recurrent head and neck cancer.

The research, published in the journal Cancers, involved 65 patients and utilized modulated proton therapy via Pencil Beam Scanning (PBS). This study represents one of the largest European series specifically focused on this technology.

Re-irradiation presents a significant challenge in radiation oncology because healthy tissues often reach their radiation tolerance limits after initial treatment. The study reported a median global survival of 17.2 months, a progression-free survival of 10.1 months, and a treatment completion rate of 92 percent. Notably, only 7.7 percent of patients experienced severe acute oral mucositis, and no grade 4 or 5 acute toxicities were recorded.