Radiotherapy for head and neck cancer
Get ahead
of the changes
As patients change during head and neck treatment, adaptive radiotherapy adjusts to help protect swallowing, speech and breathing.
Balancing control with quality of life for patients everywhere
Head and neck cancers encompass tumors of the oral cavity, oropharynx, nasopharynx, hypopharynx, larynx, paranasal sinuses, nasal cavity, and salivary glands. Each year, more than 930,000 people are diagnosed and over 460,000 lives are lost worldwide.3
Because these tumors develop close to critical structures, radiotherapy must achieve control without compromising how patients eat, speak, or breathe. Evidence shows that of patients with head and neck cancer around 75% benefit from radiotherapy during the course of their disease2, 3, making access to precision treatment critical.
Proven precision, better daily functioning
Key clinical studies show that adaptive and image-guided radiotherapy improves accuracy, safety, and functional outcomes for patients with head and neck cancer.
Around 75% of patients benefit from radiotherapy
Evidence shows that radiotherapy plays a role in treatment for nearly three out of four head and neck cancer patients. Due to nearby critical structures, precise delivery is key to maintaining quality of life.2, 3
Up to 7 Gy dose reduction to salivary glands
Adaptive radiotherapy reduces radiation exposure to the salivary glands, helping to lower the risk of xerostomia while maintaining full target coverage.4, 8, 9
Significant reduction in xerostomia with the addition of image-guided brachytherapy
A recent trial demonstrated that adding image-guided brachytherapy to IMRT for early-stage oropharyngeal cancer significantly reduced xerostomia, or dry mouth, from 30% to 6.7%.12
How adaptive radiotherapy helps you respond to clinical changes
| Your challenge | Adaptive helps you... |
| Weight loss, tumor shrinkage, or edema | Re-optimise dose distribution to keep the radiation focused on the intended area and protect critical structures, like the spinal cord and salivary glands4, 8 |
| Critical organs near target (spinal cord, brainstem, parotids) | Adapt contours and margins daily to preserve critical structures.2, 8 |
| Need to achieve high tumor control and improve functional and cosmetic outcomes | Combine adaptive radiotherapy with image-guided brachytherapy for localized, high-dose treatment while minimizing dose to nearby organs10, 11 |
| Complex anatomy or limited planning time | Use automated adaptation and integrated imaging to ensure precision for every fraction9 |
Clinics are already adapting and redefining what’s possible
“RT offers the best chance of a definitive cure for head and neck tumors.”
Dr Anthony Paravati, Executive Medical Director of Cancer Care and Chief of Radiation Oncology at Kettering Health.
Read more
Potential clinical advantages of MRgRT for Head & Neck
A/Prof Sweet Ping Ng, Radiation Oncologist, Austin Health, Melbourne shares how they are using online adaptive for head and neck treatments.
MR-guided online adaptive radiotherapy
Professor Daniel Zips from Tübingen University Hospital, Germany, shares his experience of using MR-guided online adaptive radiotherapy for Head and Neck cancers.
Nobody does adaptive like Elekta
Across MR-guided and CT-guided adaptive radiotherapy and image-guided brachytherapy, we help you manage daily anatomical or tumor changes, maintain speech and swallowing, and safely re-treat recurrent disease. Beyond technology, we partner with care teams worldwide to refine adaptive techniques that preserve function, reduce toxicity, and deliver the precision every patient deserves.
Responding to complexity with care
For people with head and neck cancer, radiotherapy is often curative and plays a critical role in preserving quality of life. Tumors grow close to structures essential for daily function, which makes precision vital from the first fraction to the last.
These cancers demand a careful balance, treating what threatens life without compromising how people live it. Adaptive radiotherapy supports that balance by responding to changes during treatment so clinicians can maintain accuracy while protecting long-term function and wellbeing.
Adapting every fraction to protect function
Conventional radiotherapy and brachytherapy are proven cornerstones for head and neck cancer treatment. Online adaptive workflows take that precision further by enabling you to tailor every fraction to your patient’s anatomy on the day of treatment.
With adaptive, you can:
Maintain accuracy throughout treatment
Re-optimize dose as anatomy evolves due to weight loss, tumor regression, or swelling, maintaining coverage and sparing critical structures.
Preserve essential functions
Lower dose to the salivary glands to reduce severe dry mouth (xerostomia) and support oral function, while protecting the spinal cord to reduce the risk of nerve damage.
Personalize confidently
Adjust plans quickly and precisely with integrated imaging and automation, avoiding the delays of offline replanning while ensuring consistent quality across fractions.
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Delivering the future of head and neck cancer treatment
Every head and neck case is unique, and treatment must adapt to the patient. Adaptive radiotherapy supports more precise and responsive care across the full course of treatment.
By combining MR- and CT-guided adaptive external beam radiotherapy with image-guided brachytherapy, clinical teams can reduce toxicity, improve functional and cosmetic outcomes, and extend what’s possible in one of the most challenging areas to treat.
Explore our adaptive solutions for head and neck cancer
Our image-guided adaptive radiotherapy solutions help you personalize the treatment of head and neck cancers, preserving organ function and improving cosmetic outcomes while maintaining tumor control.
References
- 2025 Global Impact Report. Available at: https://aboutadaptive.com (Accessed: 3 November 2025).
- Alfouzan AF. Radiation therapy in head and neck cancer. Saudi Med J. 2021;42(3):247-254.
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). GLOBOCAN 2022: Global Cancer Observatory. Lyon, France: IARC; 2024. Available from: https://gco.iarc.who.int/
- Anderson G, Ebady M, Vo K et al. An updated review on head and neck cancer treatment with radiation therapy. Cancers (Basel). 2021;13(19):4912.
- Foteini S, George K, Ioannis G et al. Does adaptive radiotherapy for head and neck cancer favorably impact dosimetric, clinical, and toxicity outcomes?: A review. Medicine. 2024;103(26):e38529.
- Chen AM, Harris JP, Nabar R et al. Re-irradiation versus systemic therapy for the management of local-regionally recurrent head and neck cancer. Radiother Oncol. 2024;196:110278.
- Lee HI, Kim JH, Ahn S-H et al. Re-irradiation for recurrent or second primary head and neck cancer. Radiat Oncol J. 2021;39(4):279-287.
- Morgan HE and Sher DJ. Adaptive radiotherapy for cancer. Cancers Head Neck. 2020;5:1.
- Aristophanous M, Aliotta E, Lichtenwalner P et al. Clinical experience with an offline adaptive radiation therapy head and neck program: Dosimetric benefits and opportunities for patient selection. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2024;119(5):1557-1568.
- Budrukkar A, Guinot JL, Tagliaferri L et al. Function Preservation in Head and Neck Cancers. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol) 2023;35(8):497-506.
- Guinot JL, Bacorro W, Budrukkar A et al. GEC-ESTRO recommendations for head & neck cancer brachytherapy (interventional radiotherapy): 2nd update with focus on HDR and PDR. Radiother Oncol 2024;201:110533.
- Budrukkar A, Murthy V, Kashid S et al. Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy Alone Versus Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy and Brachytherapy for Early-Stage Oropharyngeal Cancers: Results From a Randomized Controlled Trial. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2024;118(5):1541-1551.