Brainstem dose is associated with patient-reported acute fatigue in head and neck cancer radiation therapy.

ABSTRACT:

Background and purpose

Radiation (RT) dose to the central nervous system (CNS) has been implicated as a contributor to treatment-related fatigue in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients undergoing radiation therapy (RT). This study evaluates the association of RT dose to CNS structures with patient-reported (PRO) fatigue scores in a population of HNC patients.

Materials and methods

At pre-RT (baseline), 6th week of RT, and 1-month post-RT time points, Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20) scores were prospectively obtained from 124 patients undergoing definitive treatment for HNC. Medulla, pons, midbrain, total brainstem, cerebellum, posterior fossa, and pituitary dosimetry were evaluated using summary statistics and dose-volume histograms, and associations with MFI-20 s

SUBMITTER: Ferris MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5841457 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature