Prospective clinical study of twice-a-day fractionation radiotherapy in head and neck cancer

Twenty-one patients of laryngeal cancer (T2, T3) were treated with Twice-A-Day fractionation radiotherapy (TADF) between April, 1986 and December, 1987. Tumor control and mucosal reaction were evaluated to compare with effects between TADF and Conventional fractionation radiotherapy (CF). Methods of TADF were 1.2-1.5 Gy per fraction, two fractions per day with a minimum interval of 6 Hr., 5 days a week and 66-72 Gy for total dose. In CF, they were 1.8-2.0 Gy per fraction, one fraction per day, 5 days a week and 60-70 Gy for total dose. Complete response dose were 57 Gy in average for TADF and 47 Gy for CF. There was no significant difference. Early mucosal reaction was observed slightly severe in TADF than in CF. But, there was no significant difference among them. Split time was neened 10 days in average for TADF and 7 days for CF. There was no elongation of overall time in TADF. Follow-up time was too short to discuss about late reaction. But there were no serious complications among the patients with 2 years follow-up. These data suggested that radiotherapy of TADF was effective and should be clinically studied furthermore.