The Red Journal publishes a study by LACOG’s Head and Neck Cancer Group

In September 2020, investigators from the LACOG Head and Neck Cancer Group published the results of the study:  “Health-related quality of life outcomes in head and neck cancer: results from a prospective, real-world data study with Brazilian patients treated with intensity modulated radiation therapy, conformal and conventional radiation techniques” in the well-known scientific periodical, International Journal of Radiation Oncology – Biology – Physics. The study involved 570 Brazilian patients with head or neck cancer and assessed the impact of three different types of radiotherapy: Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), conformational radiotherapy and conventional radiotherapy, on patients’ quality of life and overall survival.

According to Dr. Marcos Santos, radio-oncologist at the CONFIAR-Goiânia Group and the principal investigator who carried out the study for the group, having a paper accepted for publication shows that Brazil is now playing an active part in producing the real world data that is relied upon by regulatory agencies around the world when making decisions on technology. “It also means that, if we invest in encouraging the use of IMRT to treat head and neck cancer, we can be confident that, depending on the amount, it will be of real help to patients.”

The findings of the trial confirm that patients who undergo Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy have a better quality of life than other treatments. “This information is even more important because there have been few randomized studies published on this topic, or they relate to lower numbers of patients.” 

Dr. Santos also highlighted some more data from the trial, which showed that the overall survival rate of individuals treated with conventional radiotherapy was lower than for other patients.