Abstract
To evaluate the effectiveness of accelerated hyperfractionated radiationtherapy (AHF) and the impact of biologically effective dose corrected for overall treatment time (cBED) upon tumor control, a retrospective study was carried out on 54 previously untreated patients with stage I or II laryngeal cancers. Irradiation was performed using bilateral opposing fields of a 60Co teletherapy unit. Fourteen patients treated with AHF exhibited a significantly better tumor control than 40 others receiving conventional radiation therapy. The patients with high cBED included all those treated with AHF, and exhibited a significantly better tumor control than those with low cBED. Multivariate analyses demonstrated cBED to be a significant variable for tumor control, although clinical stage (I/II), site (glottis/ supraglottis), total target dose, and combination with intensive chemotherapy were not significant. These results indicate that AHF holds promise for the radiotherapeutic management of stage I and II laryngeal cancers, and that the biological effectiveness of various dose fractionations can be interpreted using cBED.
