Radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal cancer is precisely adjusted to reduce side effects and the patient is functioning well three years later

2026/09/04 13:17

Ren Chongwen, a radiation oncologist at the Taipei Hospital of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. (Provided by Taipei Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare)

[Reporter Weng Yuhuang/New Taipei Report] "Doctor, after I am cured, can I still eat and speak normally?" After Mr. Chen, 42, was diagnosed with stage III nasopharyngeal cancer, he was most worried about the side effects of radiotherapy. Doctors pointed out that the tumor will gradually shrink during the treatment of nasopharyngeal cancer, so the radiotherapy plan should be readjusted as the tumor changes; while maintaining the treatment effect, further reducing side effects such as dry mouth and dysphagia is an important key to the impact of precision medicine on the patient's life and function after cure.

Ren Chongwen, a radiation oncologist at Taipei Hospital of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said that nasopharyngeal cancer is very sensitive to radiation, and radiotherapy has always been an important standard treatment for nasopharyngeal cancer. However, the nasopharynx is located close to important organs such as the parotid gland, spinal cord, and brainstem. How to protect normal tissue as much as possible while destroying the tumor has always been the biggest challenge in radiotherapy. Radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal cancer usually takes 6 to 7 weeks. During the course of treatment, the tumor often shrinks gradually. Although this means that the treatment is effective, if the radiotherapy plan at the beginning of the course of treatment is still used, the original high-dose radiation range surrounding the tumor may continue to irradiate normal tissues that no longer need to receive high doses, increasing the risk of side effects such as dry mouth and difficulty swallowing.

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Ren Chongwen uses a precise treatment method to rearrange the computerized tomography simulation positioning according to the patient's treatment status, and re-plans the radiation treatment range so that the radiation range can be adjusted synchronously with the shrinkage of the tumor, so that important organs such as the parotid gland can withdraw from the high-dose radiation area. This precise partitioning method can further reduce the impact on normal tissues.

Mr. Chen received rescheduled radiotherapy during the course of treatment. Although he experienced oral mucositis and swallowing pain during the treatment, he successfully completed the course of treatment under the continuous care of the medical team. Now he has been followed up for more than 3 years. The tumor is under good control with no signs of recurrence, and his speech and swallowing functions have been preserved. Mr. Chen said that he originally thought that after the treatment, his saliva would be so dry that he would be unable to eat. Unexpectedly, it was much better than expected. Now he can still eat and chat with his family.

Ren Chongwen uses precise zoning technology to improve the treatment effect and reduce the damage to surrounding organs during radiation therapy. (Provided by Taipei Ministry Hospital)