Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is endemic in southern China, including Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and North Africa. The undifferentiated type highly associated with the Epstein-Barr virus is the most common histological subtype of NPC in endemic regions, and it is very sensitive to radiation therapy and chemotherapy. However, most are locally advanced T3-T4 and N2-N3 disease at diagnosis, as early-stage diseases are often neglected.
Precision radiotherapy, including intensity-modulated radiotherapy(IMRT), volumetric modulated arc therapy and TomoHelical™, has been the standard radiation technique in NPC management, especially for locoregionally advanced (stage III to IVA) diseases, as it can deliver highly precise and conformal radiation to the target volumes of NPC while minimising dose to the adjacent critical organs-at-risk (OARs) from unnecessary irradiation. In particular, the TomoTherapy® System may have a dosimetric advantage of superior target volume coverage, conformity and heterogeneity as well as better minimising of dose of adjacent OARs like brainstem, optic nerves, optic chiasm and spinal cord.
This presentation will focus on the epidemiology, treatment strategies and experience of the TomoTherapy System in treating NPC.
This webinar is pending approval from CAMPEP for 1 MPCEC hour and ASRT for 1 category A credit.
Presenter
Victor Ho-Fun Lee, M.D., The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Dr. Victor Lee is Chairperson and Clinical Associate Professor of the Department of Clinical Oncology, School of Clinical Medicine, The University of Hong Kong. He was also Assistant Dean (Assessment) of LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong between 2018 and 2024. He graduated from the University of Hong Kong in 2002. After post-graduate residency training in clinical oncology, he joined the Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong as a Clinical Assistant Professor in 2008. He obtained his fellowship in the Royal College of Radiologists in Clinical Oncology in 2010. Afterwards, he received further specialist training in interstitial brachytherapy for head and neck cancers and sarcoma at Institut Gustave Roussyin Paris, France and novel radiation techniques like stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic ablative radiotherapy at Stanford University USA. In 2013, he received further training on stereotactic body radiation therapy for liver tumors at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, Canada. More recently, in 2015, he was awarded HKCR 15A Traveling Fellowship and pursued subspecialty training in image-guided brachytherapy for cervical cancer and pediatric oncology.
His current interests include clinical and genetic studies on lung, nasopharyngeal, head and neck, liver, and gastrointestinal cancers. He has published more than 230 peer-reviewed journal articles in these respects.
Moderator
Imjai Chitapanarux, M.D., Chiang Mai University Hospital, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Dr. Chitapanarux is a professor of Radiation Oncology at the Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Thailand. She has completed her M.D. and postdoctoral studies in Radiation Oncology at Chiang Mai University. She then pursued advanced radiation oncology and clinical research training at UCLA, USA. She is also the Deputy Director of Chiang Mai University Clinical Research Center (CMU-CRC) and the Head of Chiang Mai Cancer Registry, Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital. Dr. Chitapanarux has served as the President of the Federation of Asian Organization for Radiation Oncology (FARO) since January 2024. She has published more than 100 papers in reputed journals. Dr. Chitapanarux specializes in radiotherapy for head/neck and breast cancer.
