An Observational Study in Clinical Manifestations, Therapeutic Effects, Progress, and Prognosis of Radiotherapy-related Nervous System Complications

BACKGROUND

Radiotherapy is a key component in the management of head and neck tumors and primary or metastatic cancer of the central nervous system. Various radiation treatment methods employ different types of fractionation and conformational protocols designed to deliver focused radiation to target regions to maximize the lethal effect on the neoplasm and minimize the extraneous dose on normal brain tissue and other adjacent organs at risk. The outcomes of these clinical protocols may be complicated by radiation effects on normal brain parenchyma and other nervous system, resulting in a spectrum of phenotypes that range from clinically asymptomatic changes to radiotherapy-related nervous system complications with severe neurological defects, including delayed radiation-induced brain necrosis, myelopathy and nerve injury.

STUDY DESIGN:

Interventions Patients are enrolled and administrated with optimized clinical treatment.

Follow-up examinations