Advances in Image-Guided Radiotherapy in the Treatment of Oral Cavity Cancer

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) overcomes geographic changeduring treatment and avoids underdose of the target, which provides better treatment outcomes for patients with oral cavity cancer (OCC) than intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Additionally, IGRT also produces less radiation dose exposure to normal tissues that can cause fewer acute and late complications. All these potential benefits of IGRT can provide OCC patients with a better quality of life. ABSTRACT: Image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) is an advanced auxiliary radiotherapy technique. During cancer treatment, patients with oral cavity cancer (OCC) experience not only disease but also adverse effects due to RT. IGRT provides the relevant advantages of RT by precisely delivering tumoricidal doses via real-time knowledge of the target volume location and achieves maximal tumor control with minimal complications as recommended for cancer treatment. Additionally, studies have shown that IGRT can improve clinical outcomes in terms of not only treatment side effects but also survival benefits for cancer patients. IGRT can be performed alongside various imaging methods, including computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, and at different times during the radiotherapy regimen. This article reviews the literature to discuss the effects and importance of IGRT for patients with OCC, examines the rationale underlying the advantages of IGRT, discusses the limitations of IGRT with respect to different techniques, and summarizes the strategies and future prospects of IGRT in the treatment of OCC.