Efficacy and Safety of Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Paragangliomas: A Retrospective 23-Year Analysis

Cepni, Kimia; Dagdelen, Meltem; Oner, Huseyin; Cepni, Bahar; Kiziltan, Huriye Senay; Uzel, Omer Erol

doi:10.3390/jcm15031062

Open AccessArticle

Efficacy and Safety of Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Paragangliomas: A Retrospective 23-Year Analysis

by

Kimia Cepni

^1,*

,

Meltem Dagdelen

²

,

Huseyin Oner

¹

,

Bahar Cepni

³,

Huriye Senay Kiziltan

¹

and

Omer Erol Uzel

²

¹

Department of Radiation Oncology, Basaksehir Cam and Sakura City Hospital, University of Health Sciences, 34840 Istanbul, Turkey

²

Department of Radiation Oncology, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty Hospital, 34098 Istanbul, Turkey

³

Department of Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

J. Clin. Med. 2026, 15(3), 1062; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm15031062

Submission received: 24 December 2025 / Revised: 19 January 2026 / Accepted: 27 January 2026 / Published: 29 January 2026

(This article belongs to the Section Nuclear Medicine & Radiology)

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Abstract

Background/Objectives: Head and neck paragangliomas (HNPGs) are rare, typically benign, hypervascular tumors arising from neural crest cells. Although surgery is known as the primary treatment, radiotherapy (RT) is preferred for large and inoperable tumors. This study evaluated the results and safety of RT. Methods: Fifteen patients with radiologically or histologically confirmed HNPG treated with RT between 2001 and 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. Most patients received intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with a median dose of 45 Gy. Treatment-related toxicities were graded according to CTCAE criteria. Local control (LC) was estimated with using Wilson score method. Results: With a median follow-up of 96 months, all patients achieved stable or improved symptomes, without local recurrence, resulting in a 100% LC rate. RT was well tolerated, with no acute or late toxicities ≥ grade 2. Conclusions: RT, particularly IMRT, provides excellent long-term LC with minimal toxicity in patients with HNPG. RT represents an effective and well-tolerated treatment option, especially for patients with unresectable disease or high surgical risk.

Keywords: paraganglioma; radiotherapy; IMRT; HNPG

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MDPI and ACS Style

Cepni, K.; Dagdelen, M.; Oner, H.; Cepni, B.; Kiziltan, H.S.; Uzel, O.E. Efficacy and Safety of Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Paragangliomas: A Retrospective 23-Year Analysis. J. Clin. Med. 2026, 15, 1062. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm15031062

AMA Style

Cepni K, Dagdelen M, Oner H, Cepni B, Kiziltan HS, Uzel OE. Efficacy and Safety of Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Paragangliomas: A Retrospective 23-Year Analysis. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2026; 15(3):1062. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm15031062

Chicago/Turabian Style

Cepni, Kimia, Meltem Dagdelen, Huseyin Oner, Bahar Cepni, Huriye Senay Kiziltan, and Omer Erol Uzel. 2026. "Efficacy and Safety of Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Paragangliomas: A Retrospective 23-Year Analysis" Journal of Clinical Medicine 15, no. 3: 1062. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm15031062

APA Style

Cepni, K., Dagdelen, M., Oner, H., Cepni, B., Kiziltan, H. S., & Uzel, O. E. (2026). Efficacy and Safety of Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Paragangliomas: A Retrospective 23-Year Analysis. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 15(3), 1062. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm15031062

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Efficacy and Safety of Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Paragangliomas: A Retrospective 23-Year Analysis

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