17/04/2026
At the end of 2025, an international study published in the prestigious journal The Lancet revealed findings that could significantly influence the treatment of head and neck cancers. π
The research, led by MD Anderson Cancer Center, compared proton therapy with conventional (photon) radiotherapy in patients with oropharyngeal cancer over a five-year follow-up period. π
The results showed a higher chance of long-term survival with proton therapy. The five-year overall survival rate reached 90.9% in patients treated with proton therapy, compared to 81% in those treated with traditional photon radiotherapy. π
At the same time, proton therapy was associated with a lower incidence of serious side effects.
In practice, this means for example:
π΅ less frequent swallowing difficulties (34β49% vs. 49%)
π΅ a lower need for feeding tubes during treatment (26.8% vs. 40.2%)
π΅ reduced dry mouth (33% vs. 45%)
https://ukprotontherapy.co.uk/cancers-treated/head-neck-orofacial-tumours/