Executive summary

This guideline reviews examined proton therapy for nasopharynx, reirradiation, sinonasal, postoperative and oropharynx and made recommendations. Proton therapy is an established and safe modality for the treatment of patients with head and neck cancers. The superior dosimetric conformity and organ-sparing capabilities appear to correspond with improved patient outcomes when compared with IMRT per the existing literature, which suggests that proton therapy may ultimately prove to be the more cost-effective modality.

In cases where normal organ constraints cannot be met with IMRT, consideration of proton therapy is justifiable. This guideline provides ongoing including phase III randomized trials comparing proton therapy to IMRT and encourages participation. When clinical trial participation is not feasible, predictive tools, like the model-based predictive approach may allow clinicians to identify patients most likely to derive benefit from proton therapy in settings where its availability is limited.
 

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