Carbon-ion radiotherapy for head and neck tumors

Abstract

Carbon-ion radiotherapy provides highly concentrated dose distributions and offers high biological effectiveness. Therefore, carbon-ion radiotherapy offers excellent local control for head and neck non-squamous cell carcinoma （SCC）, mucosal malignant melanoma, and bone and soft tissue tumor, which are generally resistant to X-ray ther-apy. In Japan, there are five carbon-ion facilities, which play a leading role in the development of the treatments. The Japan Carbon-Ion Radiation Oncology Study Group（J-CROS）has been conducting multi-institutional studies to show the effectiveness and safety of carbon-ion radiotherapy for head and neck tumors. Based on the results, head and neck tumors excluding oral and oropharyngeal SCC have been covered by medical insurance since 2018. In this review, we describe an overview, clinical outcomes, and future prospects of carbon-ion radiotherapy for head and neck tumors.