Abstract
Orbital tumors are rare lesions comprising 0.1% of all tumors and less than 20% of
all ocular diseases. These lesions in children and adults differ significantly in
their incidence, tumor type, and treatment management. Although surgery and systemic
therapies are commonly used in the management of these diseases, radiation therapy
has become a widely used treatment for both benign and malignant tumors of the orbit.
Radiotherapy is used as a definitive treatment to provide local control while avoiding
morbidity associated with surgery for some tumors while it is used as an adjuvant
treatment following surgical resection for others. For many tumors, radiation provides
excellent tumor control with preservation of visual function. This article is dedicated
for presenting the most common applications of orbital radiotherapy. A brief overview
of the commonly available radiation therapy modalities is given. Dose constraint goals
are reviewed and acute and long-term side effects are discussed. Orbital tumors covered
in this article include optic glioma, ocular melanoma, retinoblastoma, orbital rhabdomyosarcoma,
orbital lymphoma, and lacrimal gland tumors. Background information, indications for
radiotherapy, and goals of treatment for each case example are described.
Keywords
radiation - proton therapy - IMRT - carbon-ion - melanoma - retinoblastoma - sarcoma
- glioma - lymphoma - carcinoma
