After 10 years, new clinical practice guidelines for head and neck cancer were published in 2009. In preparation of the guidelines, professionals from all four Slovenian institutions dealing with this type of cancer collaborated: Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Cervicofacial Surgery and Clinical Department of Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery, theUniversity Clinical Center Ljubljana (both); Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Maxillofacial Surgery, the University Clinical Center Maribor; and the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana. In the guidelines, recommendations for diagnostic procedures, therapy and followup of patients after treatment are presented. The guidelines are available on the web (http://www.onkoi.si/uploads/ media/Smernice_za_obravnavo_rakov_glave_in_vratu_01.pdf); independently, article was published with the emphases and commentaries of main novelties.
F.31 Development of standards
COBISS.SI-ID: 847227Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) is a modern radiation technique, yielding a significant improvement in dose distribution in irradiated tissue (in comparison to conventional radiation techniques). With launching IMRT at the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, a new era has dawned in the development of radiotherapy in Slovenia. Having considered the reports from the worldwide institutions, where IMRT has longer been a part of clinical routine, we may conclude that medical team gained an effective weapon and the patients new hope for successful completion of treatment.
F.04 Increase of the technological level
COBISS.SI-ID: 1045371Booklet summarizes basic knowledge on cancer of the head and neck (etiology, epidemiology), available diagnostic procedures and therapeutic options on a way that is understandable to laics, i.e. patients and their relatives. Separately, the text is focused on side effects of different treatment modalities used in these patients with practical instructions included how to reduce or even avoid adverse effects.
D.10 Educational activities
COBISS.SI-ID: 251878656Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) – one of the most advanced radiation therapy techniques – is being used since March 2011 at the Radiation Oncology Division of the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana. A fundamental distinction of VMAT with respect to other radiation therapy techniques is that the patient is irradiated with a photon beam continuously while the gantry is rotating around patient's body. During the treatment, three parameters are modulated simultaneously: the shape of the treatment field, rotation speed of the gantry, and the delivery dose rate. Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), in contrast, uses fixed treatment fields and a constant dose rate. Two most important advantages of VMAT over IMRT are a shorter treatment time – and consequently a smaller possibility for an unwanted change of patient position (or the position of the treatment target – tumor – inside the patient's body) on the treatment table during irradiation – and a lower dose load to the tissue around the target. At the same time, conformity of dose distribution in target area and spearing of healthy organs and tissues in its surroundings are at least as good as the one achieved by IMRT and in some cases (e.g. irradiation of the pelvis), however, they are even better. The present contribution presents VMAT, its characteristics, procedure, indications for its use, as well as the dangers associated with such precise irradiation treatment.
F.22 Improvement to existing health/diagnostic methods/procedures
COBISS.SI-ID: 1317755Traditionally, Chair of Otorhinolaryngology at the Medical Faculty (University of Ljubljana), ENT Clinic (UKC Ljubljana) and Association of Otorhinolaryngologists (at the SZD) organize on annual basis a professional meeting, Otolaryngology Day, on topics suggested by participants of the previous meeting. There are 150 family doctors, pediatricians and otorhinolaryngologists who attended the meeting. A book of lectures is also published. In 2012, the meeting was dedicated to ear problems, problems of acute laryngitis in children, nose trauma, and neck lymphadenopathy. Special attention was intended for urgency in ENT region, including also respiratory distress due to malignancies of the head and neck. To this section also belongs the lecture on endoscopic surgery of the larynx, where the options of endoscopic treatment of patients with early stage vocal cords cancer and small recurrences after irradiation were presented. Section was concluded with workshop on patients with tracheostomy.¸ Other years: - 2009: Problems in pediatric otorhinolaryngology [COBISS.SI-ID 243897088] - 2010: New views to diseases of ears, nose, pharynx and larynx [COBISS.SI-ID 249847808] - 2011: Selected problems from the field of ear, nose, pharynx and larynx diseases [COBISS.SI-ID 254967040] - 2013: Otorhinolaryngology dilemmas in clinic at general practitioner's level [COBISS.SI-ID 265814272]
F.18 Transfer of new know-how to direct users (seminars, fora, conferences)
COBISS.SI-ID: 260488448