Profile Analysis of Adverse Events After Boron Neutron Capture Therapy for Head and Neck Cancer: A Sub-Analysis of the JHN002 Study

This study conducted a sub-analysis of the phase II JHN002 trial to examine the adverse events associated with boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) for head and neck cancer. A total of 21 patients with recurrent squamous cell carcinoma (R-SCC) and non-SCC were analyzed, with adverse events tracked based on the incidence position of the neutron beam on the skin. The median recovery times for various adverse events were reported: 23 days for oral mucositis, 40 days for dermatitis, 58 days for dysgeusia, and 156 days for alopecia. The study found that the face/front (FF) beam group experienced less frequent parotitis but more frequent oral mucositis, fatigue, conjunctivitis, epistaxis, and abdominal discomfort compared to the face/lateral (FL) and neck (N) beam groups. These findings highlight the importance of considering the irradiation site when planning BNCT to potentially prevent or mitigate treatment-related adverse events.