Postoperative radiotherapy after flap reconstructive surgery in patients with head and neck cancer: A retrospective monocentric study with flap delineation to assess toxicity and relapse.
PURPOSE
Flaps are increasingly used during reconstructive surgery of head and neck cancers to improve functional outcomes. There are no guidelines as to whether the whole flap or its anastomotic border should be included in the primary tumour target volume of postoperative radiotherapy to prevent local relapses. Relapse and toxicity rates can increase substantially if the whole flap received full dose. Our aim was to determine whether flaps were included in the primary tumour target volume and to report the patterns of relapse and toxicity.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
Consecutive patients in 2014 through 2016, with or without a flap, receiving postoperative radiotherapy were selected in a retrospective monocentric control study. Flaps were homogenously delineated blind to treating radiation oncologists using a flap-specific atlas. Tumour recurrence, acute and late toxicity were evaluated using univariate and propensity score analyses.


RESULTS
A hundred patients were included; 54 with a flap. Median flap volume included in the tumour volume was 80.9%. Twelve patients experienced local recurrences: six with a flap, among whom two within their flap (3.7%). Patients with flaps had larger median tumour volumes to be irradiated (25cm3 versus 58cm3, p<0.001) and higher acute/late toxicity rates (p<0.001) even after adjustment on biases (more advanced T stage, oral cavity, active smoking in patients with flaps). Locoregional recurrence and survival rates were similar between patients with/without a flap.


CONCLUSION
Recurrences within a flap were rare in this series when including the whole flap body in the 60Gy-clinical target volume but inclusion of the flap in the primary tumour target volume increased toxicity. Multicentric studies are warranted.
['Gérard|M|M|', 'Le Guevelou|J|J|', 'Jacksic|N|N|', 'Lequesne|J|J|', 'Bastit|V|V|', 'Géry|B|B|', 'Jeanne|C|C|', 'Batalla|A|A|', 'Lacroix|J|J|', 'Kammerer|E|E|', 'Lasne-Cardon|A|A|', 'Thariat|J|J|']
D000328:Adult D000368:Aged D000369:Aged, 80 and over D000704:Analysis of Variance D005260:Female D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms D006801:Humans D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local D011182:Postoperative Care D057216:Propensity Score D011832:Radiation Injuries D019651:Reconstructive Surgical Procedures D012189:Retrospective Studies D013524:Surgical Flaps
Postoperative Radiotherapy Flap Surgery Head and neck cancer Toxicity Recurrence Cancer de la tête et du cou Chirurgie Clinical target volume Lambeau Postopératoire Radiothérapie Récidive Toxicité Volume cible clinique