The efficiency and tolerance of half-body irradiation (HBI) in patients with multiple metastases. The Krakow experience.
OBJECTIVE
To present our experience regarding the efficiency and tolerance of half-body irradiation in patients with multiple cancer metastases.


METHODS
Between January 1986 and December 1997, 102 patients with multiple cancer metastases received half-body irradiation (HBI) at the Center of Oncology--Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Institute in Krakow. Most of the patients (93/102) had bone metastases (Table 1). The HBI was performed with 9 MV photon beam from linear accelerator. In 88 patients only one region (upper, mid or lower) was treated, and 14 patients received upper and lower HBI (13 patients), or upper and mid HBI (one patient) (Table 2). The mean doses were: 6 Gy in upper HBI, 8 Gy in mid HBI, and 9 Gy in lower HBI (Table 3).


RESULTS
The positive palliative effect (complete or partial pain relief) was observed in 77 (75.5%) patients (Table 4). Complete pain relief was higher in patients with prostate cancer, and in patients who received mid or lower HBI. During follow-up 47 (46.1%) patients developed pain progression after treatment (Table 5). The probability of survival without pain progression was higher in patients who developed complete pain relief (86.7% at 6 months, 69.3% at 12 and 24 months) than in patients with partial response (52.9% at 6 months, 32.8% at 12 months, and 5.5% at 24 months) (Figure 1). In most of the patients (74/102, 72.5%) the tolerance was good.


CONCLUSIONS
HBI is an efficient method for palliation in patients with multiple painful metastases.
Skolyszewski
J
J
Department of Radiation Oncology, Center of Oncology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Institute, Krakow, Poland.
Sas-Korczynska
B
B
Korzeniowski
S
S
Reinfuss
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000556:secondary; D001943:Breast Neoplasms; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D010166:Palliative Care; D010315:Particle Accelerators; D017785:Photons / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011336:Probability; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms; D011836:Radiation Tolerance; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D013997:Time Factors