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Updated: Jun 22, 2026
Proton Therapy Delivery and Its Clinical Application in Select Solid Tumor Malignancies
Published on: February 6, 2019
Proton radiation therapy for primary sphenoid sinus malignancies: treatment outcome and prognostic factors
Minh Tam Truong1, Urmila R Kamat, Norbert J Liebsch
1Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. mttruong@partners.org
Background:
The purpose of this study was to determine treatment outcome and prognostic factors in patients with locally advanced primary sphenoid sinus malignancy treated with proton radiation therapy.
Methods:
Between 1991 and 2005, 20 patients with primary sphenoid sinus malignancy received proton beam to a median dose of 76 Gray equivalent.
Results:
With a median follow-up of 27 months, the 2-year local, regional, and freedom from distant metastasis rates were 86%, 86%, and 50%, respectively. The disease-free and overall-survival rates at 2 years were 31% and 53%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, oropharyngeal involvement (p = .005) and anterior cranial fossa invasion (p = .02) were predictive for poor disease-free survival rate. Brain invasion was predictive for decreased overall-survival rate (p = .05).
Conclusions:
Proton radiation therapy results in excellent local control in patients with advanced primary sphenoid sinus malignancy. Brain invasion, involvement of the oropharynx and anterior cranial fossa are important prognostic factors.
