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HEAD AND NECK CANCER

A Personalized, Non-Surgical Treatment for Head and Neck Cancers

Precision matters.

Head and neck cancers can affect your ability to communicate and eat, cause pain, and negatively impact your emotional well-being. That’s why when it comes to treating the complex, delicate and vital tissues and structures of the head and neck, precision matters. The Radixact® System provides a non-surgical option designed to maximize the radiation delivered to the cancerous tumor while minimizing dose to healthy tissues, such as those in the brain, spinal cord, salivary and parotid glands — protecting related functions and preserving your quality of life. The system can be used to treat the entire spectrum of head and neck tumors, and may provide an effective alternative when surgery is not possible or when the tumor cannot be entirely removed, or to reduce the risk of higher toxicities associated with the use of conventional radiation therapy.

The Radixact System, the next-generation TomoTherapy® platform, has been designed to enable doctors to more effectively and efficiently deliver precise radiation treatments to more patients. The TomoTherapy platform represented a dramatic advance in the radiation oncology field, as the only system specifically designed for integrated 3D daily image-guidance with intensity modulated radiation therapy (IG-IMRT) that will help you fight your cancer.

Key treatment benefits of the Radixact System using TomoTherapy technology

  • Non-surgical and non-invasive
  • Good clinical outcomes
  • The radiation beams are shaped to closely fit the area of the cancer, helping to significantly reduce common side effects
  • Most patients can continue normal activity throughout treatment
  • Can be used after surgery and alongside some chemotherapies or immunotherapies

Ask a physician if Radixact treatment is right for you

You deserve the best possible treatment for your cancer. Find a physician in your area offering the Radixact System — and find out if Radixact treatment is right for you.

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A clinically proven treatment for head and neck cancers

The Radixact System, the next-generation TomoTherapy platform, is one of the most integrated, advanced systems for comprehensive cancer treatment available today and is routinely used to treat the entire spectrum of head and neck cancers — including the most complex cases. The TomoTherapy technology studies found:

  • A single-institution study of 72 patients with various stages of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with the TomoHelical™ delivery method found that the five-year local control rate was 97 percent, demonstrating excellent long-term disease control. The study also showed that TomoHelical treatments resulted in generally mild acute and late toxicity.1
  • A prospective, multi-institutional study evaluated the clinical benefits of IMRT delivered using TomoHelical™ mode compared with volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for 166 patients with head and neck cancer. The local control rate and cancer-specific survival rate were significantly better in the TomoTherapy patient group than in the VMAT patient group. Treatment with TomoHelical also enabled delivery of significantly reduced doses of radiation outside the tumor, leading to better acute salivary function than with VMAT.2
  • Clinicians compared TomoTherapy System treatment plans for oropharyngeal cancer (a complex disease requiring the delivery of different doses to different targets in the head and neck region while sparing multiple organs-at-risk) to those generated for conventional IMRT plans. The study authors concluded the TomoTherapy System “gives the most homogeneous target coverage with more sparing of the spinal cord, brainstem, parotids and the lower part swallowing apparatus than most of the other systems”.3
  • A retrospective, single center study of patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) found those treated with the TomoTherapy System experienced better quality of life, such as salivary sparing, compared to patients treated using a conventional IMRT system.4

An ideal, non-invasive option

Surgery is a common treatment for head and neck cancers, but there are many cases where it may not be possible — or simply may not be the best option available. Similarly, conventional intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) techniques are commonly used but they have demonstrated higher toxicity than the TomoTherapy treatments. Image-guided intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IG-IMRT) with the Radixact System, the next-generationTomoTherapy platform, can offer an effective alternative in many cases, delivering precision in a non-invasive, outpatient procedure that does not require incisions or general anesthesia. Most patients will not require hospitalization or a long recovery period.

Enabling re-treatment

Because the precise targeting of the Radixact System significantly reduces irradiation of surrounding healthy tissues, the Radixact System can be a powerful treatment option for head and neck patients, including patients that have previously undergone radiation or surgical procedures, or experience a recurrence.

An effective, less disruptive treatment option

The Radixact System with TomoTherapy® technology maximizes radiation delivered to the target — while helping to minimize dose to surrounding healthy tissues. The result is highly personalized treatment designed to significantly reduce the risk of the side effects that too often disrupt the lives of patients during and after treatment.

RADIXACT VS. SURGERY

Radixact treatment is an outpatient procedure that does not require incisions or general anesthesia. Most patients will not require hospitalization or long recovery period.

RADIXACT VS. BRACHYTHERAPY

Radixact treatment eliminates the inconvenience and risk associated with radioactive seed implants or catheter.

RADIXACT VS. CONVENTIONAL RADIATION THERAPY

The radiation beams are shaped to closely fit the area of the cancer, helping to deliver precise treatments and significantly reduced doses of radiation outside the tumor, leading to better acute salivary function5

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References:

1 Leung et al. “Treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma by TomoTherapy: five-year experience.” Radiation Oncology. 2013;8:107.

2 Bibault JE et al. “Clinical Outcomes of Several IMRT Techniques for Patients With Head and Neck Cancer: A Propensity Score-Weighted Analysis. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys.” 2017 Nov 15;99(4):929-937.

3 Van Gestel D., et al. “RapidArc, SmartArc and TomoHD compared with classical step and shoot and sliding window intensity modulated radiotherapy in an oropharyngeal cancer treatment plan comparison.” Radiation Oncology 2013;8:37.

4 Chen et al. Intensity-modulated radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma: improvement of the therapeutic ratio with helical tomotherapy vs. segmental multileaf collimator-based techniques. The British Journal of Radiology 2012;85:e537-543.

5 Bibault JE et al. “Clinical Outcomes of Several IMRT Techniques for Patients With Head and Neck Cancer: A Propensity Score-Weighted Analysis. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys.” 2017 Nov 15;99(4):929-937.

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Important Safety Statement: Most side effects of radiotherapy, including radiotherapy delivered with Accuray systems, are mild and temporary, often involving fatigue, nausea, and skin irritation. Side effects can be severe, however, leading to pain, alterations in normal body functions (for example, urinary or salivary function), deterioration of quality of life, permanent injury and even death. Side effects can occur during or shortly after radiation treatment or in the months and years following radiation. The nature and severity of side effects depend on many factors, including the size and location of the treated tumor, the treatment technique (for example, the radiation dose), the patient’s general medical condition, to name a few. For more details about the side effects of your radiation therapy, and if treatment with an Accuray product is right for you, ask your doctor.