Two-year clinical experience with tomotherapy: the French national cancer institute project on implementing new technology.

ABSTRACT

The pooled 2-year clinical experience using three tomotherapy units installed in France in 2007 is presented. Treatment indications and protocols were devised for each disease site and were the result of a consensus. A total of 642 patients were treated for central nervous system, head and neck, thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic tumors. Overall, grade 3, 4, and 5 acute toxicity was 10.7%, 0.3%, and 0.2%, respectively. Grade 3 chronic toxicity was 1.2%. There was no grade 4 or 5 chronic toxicity. The use of tomotherapy in a broad clinical practice is safe, and acute and chronic toxicity both are acceptable for all anatomical locations.