Definitive proton beam therapy for adenoid cystic carcinoma of the nasopharynx involving the base of skull

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) accounts for only 5–10% of salivary gland tumors and less than 1% of all head and neck malignancies. ACC is also an aggressive histology with a high metastatic potential. Nasopharyngeal ACC often presents at a locally advanced stage, precluding surgical resection. Thus, nasopharyngeal ACC can be challenging to treat, necessitating the high dose radiotherapy required for tumor control, while abiding by the dose tolerance of critical structures including the brainstem, optic structures, and cochlea.

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