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Is it safe and appropriate to palliatively treat abdominal or thoracic tumors with concurrent chemotherapy when using fractions of 250-300 cGy?
For example, there is a retrospective series out of MD Anderson (Kim, Acta Oncologica 2008) wherein 37 patients with gastric cancer were treated with palliative RT (median dose 35 Gy in 14 fractions) with most patients having received concurrent chemo. Are there any agents that must be avoided with palliative RT?
Answer from: Radiation Oncologist at Academic Institution
I have routinely given 250cGy per fraction to total doses of 3500-3750cGy with single-agent radiosensitizing chemotherapy (usually 5-FU or capecitabine) without apparent significant toxicity, though we have not reviewed our data. So I generally consider this to be a safe regimen and consider it for ...
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Answer from: Radiation Oncologist at Community Practice
I have personally not done this. At last ASTRO, there was presentation of a randomised international study for esophageal cancer comparing RT (30 to 35 Gy in 10-15 fractions) to chemoRT (same RT with cis and 5FU) for palliation showing no difference in symptom relief, QOL and surviv...