Palliative radiation therapy for hemorrhage of unresectable gastric cancer: a single institute experience.
OBJECTIVE
To clarify the toxicity of palliative radiotherapy (RT) and its efficacy against bleeding of unresectable gastric cancer.


METHODS
Clinical data of 19 patients received palliative RT for bleeding from unresectable gastric cancer were reviewed. The median total dose and dose per fraction were 40 Gy (range 2-50 Gy) and 2.5 Gy (range 1.8-3 Gy).


RESULTS
The treatment success rate was 68.4%. By using a tumor alpha/beta ratio of 10, biological effective dose of 50 Gy(10) or more was significantly correlated with treatment success (P = 0.040). The median event-free survival was 1.5 months after RT and the median overall survival from starting RT was 3.4 months. Grade 3 nausea and anorexia were recorded in 1 and 3 patients, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Palliative RT was effective for hemostasis in patients with gastric cancer bleeding with minor adverse events.
Hashimoto
Kenji
K
Gastrointestinal Oncology Division, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan.
Mayahara
Hiroshi
H
Takashima
Atsuo
A
Nakajima
Takako Eguchi
TE
Kato
Ken
K
Hamaguchi
Tetsuya
T
Ito
Yoshinori
Y
Yamada
Yasuhide
Y
Kagami
Yoshikazu
Y
Itami
Jun
J
Shimada
Yasuhiro
Y
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006487:Hemostasis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D016019:Survival Analysis