A research team led by UC radiation oncologist Allen Chen has proposed new treatment guidelines that physicians nationwide can use to reduce the possibility of permanent nerve damage among patients undergoing radiation treatments for head and neck cancers. The researchers devised step-by-step techniques for identifying the brachial plexus nerve complex using anatomical "bench posts" delineated with computed tomography scans commonly used for treatment planning. Chen designed delivery contours to avoid those critically important nerves during intensitymodulated radiation therapy treatments. The team's recommendations were published in the December 2008 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physiology.