Elective Nodal Irradiation and Patterns of Failure in Head and Neck Cancer After Primary Radiation Therapy

Purpose The delineation of elective clinical target volumes in head and neck cancer (HNC) is important; however, the extent of lymph node levels necessary to include is debated. A comprehensive analysis of recurrence patterns in a large cohort of patients with HNC was performed, with an emphasis on recurrence in the retropharyngeal region and level IB. Methods and Materials From 2005 to 2012, 942 patients with oropharyngeal, hypopharyngeal,...