Head & Neck
Oropharynx, oral cavity, larynx and hypopharynx, nasopharynx and post-operative treatment — what they share, how they differ, and one cited constraint table.
Head and neck planning is a problem of many targets and many organs packed into a small space. Most plans treat the primary and the neck together at two or three dose levels — delivered at once with a simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) or in phases with a sequential boost — while sparing the salivary glands, swallowing structures, spinal cord and brainstem.
| Subsite | Usual approach | Common schedule | Concurrent chemo | Neck |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oropharynx | Definitive RT | 70 Gy / 35 fx | For more advanced disease (e.g. T2–4 N1–2) | Both sides; one side for selected lateralized tonsil cancers |
| Oral cavity | Surgery, then post-op RT | 60–66 Gy / 30–33 fx | After surgery, for positive margins or extracapsular extension | Levels I–IV on the tumor side; both sides near the midline |
| Larynx & hypopharynx | Organ-preserving definitive RT | 70 Gy / 35 fx | Considered for node-positive and bulky tumors | Both sides, levels II–IV |
| Early glottic larynx | RT alone to the larynx | 63 Gy / 28 fx (T1), 65.25 Gy / 29 fx (T2) | No | Not treated |
| Nasopharynx | Definitive chemoradiation | 70 Gy / 35 fx | Standard from T2 (RT alone for selected low-risk T2 N0) | Upper neck on both sides; lower neck on the involved side |
| Post-operative | Adjuvant RT for risk features | 60–66 Gy / 30–33 fx | Positive margins or extracapsular extension | Operated neck plus elective levels |
Schedules are common examples from published protocols, not recommendations for any patient.
What every head and neck plan shares: mask setup, dose levels (SIB or sequential boost), target volumes, organs at risk and one cited constraint table.
Definitive radiotherapy with or without cisplatin: when chemotherapy is added, HPV status, and when one side of the neck is enough.
Usually surgery first, then post-operative radiotherapy; definitive treatment when surgery isn't possible. Bite blocks, level I nodes and the mandible.
Two different plans: organ-preserving chemoradiation for advanced disease, and small-field hypofractionated treatment for early glottic cancer.
Definitive chemoradiation to the skull base: MRI-based targets, a different dose-level pattern and the organs that decide the plan.
Adjuvant treatment after surgery for oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx and hypopharynx cancer: risk features, timing, when cisplatin is added, and tumor-bed targets.
Organ-by-organ contouring guides for the body region head & neck treatment covers, each tied to its published source.
The planning concepts used to evaluate head & neck plans.
Protocols, guidelines and publications relevant to head & neck radiotherapy.
Look up head & neck dose constraints by organ and fraction count, each with its source.
Head & Neck structures
Each organ page shows its head & neck dose constraints with sources, plus anatomy, why it matters and contouring resources.