| Schedule | Constraint | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Conventional fractionation 70 Gy / 35 fx definitive · 60–66 Gy / 30–33 fx post-op | Mean <35 Gy | RTOG 0920 |
For oral cavity and oropharynx cancers; higher doses are expected with larynx cancer.
Quoted from RTOG 0920, checked 2026-09-24. Full table with references →
The upper part of the esophagus in the neck, from the cricopharyngeal inlet (the bottom of the pharynx) down to the thoracic inlet.
The upper part of the food pipe. It carries food and liquid from the throat down into the chest.
Dose to the cervical esophagus contributes to acute pain on swallowing and to late stricture and dysphagia. It is easiest to spare for upper-neck targets; with larynx and hypopharynx cancer, higher doses are expected.
In Brouwer 2015:
Just above it, Brouwer contours a separate cricopharyngeal inlet — the transition from the pharyngeal constrictors into the esophagus. It runs from the bottom of the arytenoid cartilages to 1 cm below the cricoid, with the tracheal lumen in front and the vertebral body behind.
RTOG 0920 defines the cervical esophagus as a tubular structure from the bottom of its pharynx structure to the thoracic inlet, so check which definition your protocol uses. Christianen 2011 covers the swallowing structures.
Consensus CT delineation guidelines for head and neck organs at risk from eight cooperative groups, with anatomical descriptions and example images. Citation checked against Crossref; content not yet reviewed by DoseLab.
CT-based guidelines for delineating the organs at risk involved in swallowing. Citation checked against Crossref; content not yet reviewed by DoseLab.