Extinction of the weakest

Abstract

PURPOSE: To examine whether changes in the effective doubling time of tumor cells during irradiation of head-and-neck cancer are linked to accumulating dose. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Optimal fitting of the results of four apparently iso-effective regimens in three recently reported randomized controlled trials (continuous hyperfractionated accelerated radiation therapy [CHART], Radiation Therapy Oncology Group [RTOG] 90-03, and Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group [TROG] 91.01) was attempted using two different types of model of the change in effective doubling time that may occur during treatment. The first involved the traditional approach where doubling time changes at specific times after..