Tolerance doses of critical organs in patients with head and neck cancer treated with radiation therapy

The aim of this paper is to present the current state of knowledge in the area of tolerance of ionizing radiation doses, in relation to critical organs of the head and neck. This knowledge is of crucial importance for a radiotherapist who is planning and performing irradiation treatment of malignant neoplasms of the skull base, eyeball and orbit, naso-maxillary- ethmoid prominence, oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, large salivary glands, thyroid gland, and cervical lymph nodes. This diagnostic and therapeutic process involves the use of some modern techniques such as IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy), IGRT (Image Guided Radiation Therapy), tomotherapy, stereotactic radiotherapy and radiosurgery.