ABSTRACT

Radiotherapy (radiation therapy) is defined as the use of ionizing radiation and comprises both external beam therapy and brachytherapy (see below). The use of radiotherapy in head and neck cancer was established between 1920 and 1940 by the pioneering work of Coutard in Paris and Paterson in Manchester UK, among others. Subsequently, opinions on its merits have fluctuated from time to time and from country to country, but radiotherapy retains an important place in the management of head and neck cancer, either as the sole treatment or in combination with other modalities.