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Updated: Aug 11, 2026
Retroductal Submandibular Gland Instillation and Localized Fractionated Irradiation in a Rat Model of Salivary Hypofunction
Published on: April 24, 2016
Radiotherapy for metastases to the mandible in children
Melvin Deutsch1, Michael R Wollman
1Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. deutschm@msx.upmc.edu
Purpose:
We present a retrospective review of all children treated since 1979 at our institution with radiotherapy for symptomatic metastases that involve the mandible.
Patients And Methods:
Nine children were treated with 1 or more courses of radiotherapy for symptomatic metastases that involve the mandible. Six children had a neuroblastoma, 1 had angiosarcoma of the liver, 1 had adenocarcinoma of the rectum, and 1 had peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor (Ewing's sarcoma) of the spine. In 3 children, the mandible was the first bone involved by metastases. Seven children were treated with short intensive courses of radiotherapy consisting of 1 to 3 fractions to a total dose of 400 to 1,200 cGy. One child received 2,400 cGy in 6 fractions, and another child received 3,000 cGy in 10 fractions. Three children were treated with second courses of radiotherapy at 1, 2, and 5 months, respectively, from the initial course of radiotherapy. All children had received chemotherapy.
Results:
All children died of disseminated disease at 5 to 59 months from their initial diagnosis, 5 to 29 months from the detection of metastases to bone, and only 6 days to 17 months (median, 2 months) from the first treatment of metastases to the mandible.
Conclusions:
The outlook for children with metastases that involve the mandible is very poor, and we recommend short intensive courses of radiotherapy consisting of 1 to 3 treatments to total doses of 400 to 1,200 cGy for palliation of pain.
