RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for head and neck cancer (HNC) the intimal-medial thickness (IMT) and the lumen of the carotid artery. METHODS: Patients with HNC and an indication for EBRT were enrolled. A carotid artery color Doppler examination was performed before and 6 and 12 months after EBRT. RESULTS: From 2008 to 2011, 50 patients were enrolled. The mean carotid IMT was 0.9 vs. 1.02 mm before and 6 months after EBRT, respectively (p = 0.0001). The common carotid artery lumen was narrowed without statistical significance, 6 months after EBRT (p = 0.3). 1 year from EBRT, the IMT increase and the lumen reduction were statistically significant (p = 0.001, p = 0.01, respectively). Neurological events (stroke or TIA) were not observed. CONCLUSIONS: Our data showed a significant IMT increase 6 months from EBRT without a corresponding narrowing of the common carotid lumen while a significant increase 12 months after EBRT (AU)
Assuntos
Humanos , Masculino , Feminino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Artérias Carótidas/efeitos da radiação , Doenças das Artérias Carótidas/etiologia , Espessura Intima-Media Carotídea , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço/radioterapia , Lesões por Radiação/etiologia , Lesões por Radiação , Túnica Média/efeitos da radiação , Artérias Carótidas/patologia , Artérias Carótidas , Doenças das Artérias Carótidas , Estadiamento de Neoplasias , Seguimentos , Estudos Observacionais como Assunto , Prognóstico , Túnica Média , Fatores de RiscoRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for head and neck cancer (HNC) the intimal-medial thickness (IMT) and the lumen of the carotid artery. METHODS: Patients with HNC and an indication for EBRT were enrolled. A carotid artery color Doppler examination was performed before and 6 and 12 months after EBRT. RESULTS: From 2008 to 2011, 50 patients were enrolled. The mean carotid IMT was 0.9 vs. 1.02 mm before and 6 months after EBRT, respectively (p = 0.0001). The common carotid artery lumen was narrowed without statistical significance, 6 months after EBRT (p = 0.3). 1 year from EBRT, the IMT increase and the lumen reduction were statistically significant (p = 0.001, p = 0.01, respectively). Neurological events (stroke or TIA) were not observed. CONCLUSIONS: Our data showed a significant IMT increase 6 months from EBRT without a corresponding narrowing of the common carotid lumen while a significant increase 12 months after EBRT.
