Background
tumor, head and neck tumors, oropharyngeal mucosal damage, malignancy, Oropharyngeal cancer, palate, epiglottis
ADVERSE REACTIONS, MALIGNANCIES, TUMOR, OROPHARYNGEAL CANCER
Oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) is a malignancy occurring in the palatine tonsil, soft palate, tongue root, pharyngeal wall, and surrounding epiglottis, accounting for around 1.3% of malignancies in the whole body [Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) has been widely utilized in clinical practice as a result of the rapid development of radiotherapy equipment. More importantly, this technology has been extensively applied for the treatment of head and neck tumors because of its characteristics of accurate target positioning, optimized target dose distribution, and maximum normal tissue protection, combined with its dosimetric advantages. Nevertheless, IMRT still has certain limitations, including oropharyngeal mucosal damage and local adverse reactions, although its advances have improved the accuracy and efficacy of radiotherapy in OPC treatment. Reportedly, individualized oral stents designed based on the oral structure of patients can effectively separate normal tissues from the tumor target and protect oral buccal mucosa, tongue, hard palate, soft palate, posterior pharyngeal wall, and other normal tissues to reduce the dose of radiation and the incidence of toxic effects. Oral stents were first used clinically for radiotherapy in 1965 [In this research, we compared the positioning errors and organ doses among OPC patients with stent-free radiotherapy, oral stents constructed with 3D printing technology, and simple glass bottles in the mouth, thereby providing a reference for the development or selection of individualized radiation protection equipment for OPC patients undergoing radiotherapy in the future.