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Do you use any thyroid dose constraints for head neck radiation planning?

4 Answers
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Radiation Oncology · University of North Carolina
Answered on

I do not constrain the thyroid. Careful monitoring post-operatively for hypothyroidism and appropriate thyroid replacement is reasonable. There is another, more theoretical concern that I have in that based on a Childhood Cancer Survivor Study Analysis, intermediate RT doses to the thyroid (10 - 30 ...

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Radiation Oncology · Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center
Answered on

I agree with Dr. @Dr. First Last, although this is an area in which I would be interested in other comments. I suspect that larynx dose constraints protect the thyroid to some degree in cases where the larynx is not a target. Constrictor muscle dose constraints may play a role, too.

All that said, ...

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Radiation Oncology · Mallory Radiotherapy, PLLC
Answered on

Yes, in select cases where I am only covering electively in the area:


V30 < 60%
Mean < 4500 cGy

I would not undercover gross disease to meet these constraints nor crop the elective PTV extending into the thyroid.

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Radiation Oncology · University of Florida
Answered on

No

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